Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

Upon the discovery that his wife is pregnant, Oscar nominated Morgan Spurlock (creator and director of the phenomenally successful documentary Super Size Me) decides to sink his teeth into the topic of terrorism to discover what kind of a world he will be bringing a child into. This impending fatherhood transforms Spurlock into an affable action hero in search of the planet’s arch super-villain through a fact-finding tour of the Middle East and beyond. So, with no military experience, knowledge or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the world’s most wanted man.

Thus begins Spurlock's journey into some of the most war torn and perilous places on the globe: Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. Spurlock travels from country to country, popping into mosques, fundamentalist Muslim schools, shanty towns, army bases, the Gaza strip, and the local mall, asking everyone along the way if they might know where he can find Osama. The provocative question never fails to elicit an interesting response, and Spurlock uses it to open up a dialogue about the people's feelings and attitudes toward America and the war on terror.

Spurlock’s trademark humour and feigned naivety, which some argue is a gimmick that lessens the film's resonance, are used to question the nature of the United States of America’s war on terrorism in a sensitive, compelling and highly engaging way. Where in the World is enlivened by educational animations, snazzy graphics, and mock music videos (such as a merger between Osama and MC Hammer). Morgan Spurlock is a more likable and less manipulative version of Michael Moore who strives to discover what kind of a world creates Osama Bin Laden and how the aura of Osama is something which needs to be addressed.

Some have speculated that Spurlock may actually find Bin Laden but you will have to watch the film to discover whether or not that is true! Nonetheless, he succeeds in addressing the topic of Osama, terrorism and the war on terror in a way that is finally understandable to people. Where in the World offers a glimmer of hope that behind all the bellowing by politicians there are millions of people in the Middle East who simply yearn for peace.

Adam Wilbourn