The relatives of a flight attendant who died in the 11 September attacks have criticised the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call. Zero Dark Thirty features the voice of Betty Ann Ong, who was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center. Brother Harry Ong told the New York Times it was "just outrageous". The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of the hunt and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Screenwriter Mark Boal told the paper Ms Ong was a "national hero". Ms Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, made a 23-minute phone call to authorities from an onboard phone to give them details of the hijacking. She is among the victims whose voices are heard during a sequence at the start of Zero Dark Thirty. Her brother said the clip was used without permission. "I thought it was just outrageous, and totally poor judgment, and an abuse of the voices," Mr Ong told the New York Times. He has requested an apology be made at the Oscars if the film wins any of the five awards it is nominated for. He also asked the film-makers to donate to a charitable foundation set up in Ms Ong's name, include a credit for Ms Ong and put a statement on its website and DVD release making it clear that the Ong family did not endorse torture, which is depicted in the film. Mark Boal told the newspaper: "As the 9/11 commission justly proclaimed, Betty Ong is without a doubt one of our national heroes." In a statement, film studio Sony and Annapurna Pictures said Mr Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow had been in close contact with the families of victims since releasing the film, which was privately screened for many of them. "Zero Dark Thirty is, in some small way, a tribute to those forever affected by the attacks," the statement said. A link has now been added from the official Zero Dark Thirty website to the Betty Ann Ong foundation, the Voices of September 11th organisation and the 9/11 memorial site. The movie has been at the centre of much controversy since its release, including over its depiction of torture, the links between the film-makers and the CIA and whether it was a propaganda tool for President Barack Obama's re-election.
Zero Dark Thirty attacked by 9/11 family
Posted by Latest Videos
on Monday, February 25, 2013
The relatives of a flight attendant who died in the 11 September attacks have criticised the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call. Zero Dark Thirty features the voice of Betty Ann Ong, who was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center. Brother Harry Ong told the New York Times it was "just outrageous". The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of the hunt and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Screenwriter Mark Boal told the paper Ms Ong was a "national hero". Ms Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, made a 23-minute phone call to authorities from an onboard phone to give them details of the hijacking. She is among the victims whose voices are heard during a sequence at the start of Zero Dark Thirty. Her brother said the clip was used without permission. "I thought it was just outrageous, and totally poor judgment, and an abuse of the voices," Mr Ong told the New York Times. He has requested an apology be made at the Oscars if the film wins any of the five awards it is nominated for. He also asked the film-makers to donate to a charitable foundation set up in Ms Ong's name, include a credit for Ms Ong and put a statement on its website and DVD release making it clear that the Ong family did not endorse torture, which is depicted in the film. Mark Boal told the newspaper: "As the 9/11 commission justly proclaimed, Betty Ong is without a doubt one of our national heroes." In a statement, film studio Sony and Annapurna Pictures said Mr Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow had been in close contact with the families of victims since releasing the film, which was privately screened for many of them. "Zero Dark Thirty is, in some small way, a tribute to those forever affected by the attacks," the statement said. A link has now been added from the official Zero Dark Thirty website to the Betty Ann Ong foundation, the Voices of September 11th organisation and the 9/11 memorial site. The movie has been at the centre of much controversy since its release, including over its depiction of torture, the links between the film-makers and the CIA and whether it was a propaganda tool for President Barack Obama's re-election.
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