“Evil and good live side by side: This is the nature of life.”
Alex Gibney delivers another intrusive documentary that feels right at home in his impressive filmmaking repertoire. Leading on from such films as ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005) and WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS (2013), Gibney focuses this time on cyber warfare attacks: specifically the Zero Days virus which devastated Iran’s nuclear energy/weapons programme several years ago. Nicknamed “StuXnet”, this complex computer worm was created by the US and Israeli security services – although Gibney’s hard hitting documentary notes that there was absolutely no admission of responsibility.
In a modern world where technology has integrated nearly every aspect of our daily lives, the thought of it taking over and being able to manipulate us is a terrifying one: think all the way back to Stephen King’s MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986). Illuminating segments on computer science and nuclear physics, beautifully illustrated with glowing green binary and other thematic imagery, will leave the audience educated, amazed, and reasonably concerned about who is trying to spy on them through their Smartphones.
With just about everyone Gibney chooses to interview, their responses are hesitant or non-existent when the topic turns to StuXnet, suggesting how hush-hush everything really is. At one point a professional remarks, “saying StuXnet was like saying Voldemort in Harry Potter!”. Considering the events of this film occurred for the most part in 2010, this reticence suggests that the tension between countries, and the unexpectedly fierce threat of cyber warfare are still at the forefront of many peoples’ minds – and potentially could be for many years to come.
“saying StuXnet was like saying ‘Voldemort’ in Harry Potter!”
Throughout the course of the film the full potential and mechanical lethality of the StuXnet worm is unfolded, addressing the key question: which countries really hold power over us all? The name “Zero Day” takes its origin from the “Zero Day exploit”, an attribute which allows the virus to infect and replicate itself in literally zero days, without the need for human intervention – almost exactly like a biological virus. The severity in the behaviour of this virus drives the film and, even though a factual documentary, brings across an essence of science fiction similar to that of Soderbergh’s CONTAGION (2011).
Eventually it was possible to find someone, who asked to remain anonymous, who could talk empirically about the StuXnet virus. The source of the virus, and the reason for its creation is linked to current and previous relations between the United States, Iran and the middle East; specifically the Bush and Obama administration. The quest into how this virus was capable of bringing about such an extreme security and nuclear fiasco in Iran led to ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s mass surveillance disclosures in 2013 (documented in Gibney’s earlier film WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS).
Flooded with ambiguity and paranoia, ZERO DAYS explores a dark and treacherous path many have pondered but not quite had the courage to delve into before. Gibney offers a thrilling validation of the contemporary suspicion that Big Brother may be watching us, and does nothing to dilute the situation or risks. Are we being watched? Are we in danger? If so, from whom?
httpvh://youtu.be/ikzAcK0l-ZM