This film looks to shed light on the rigor behind journalism and why it's all worth it. It’s a piece of

work about pursuing the truth wherever it may lead and bringing that truth back in word form for

the world to read. This film depicts the risk, guts and nerve shown by Rukmini Callimachi, the

lead New York Times reporter covering the Islamic State. The film takes us on a journey through

leads, sources and contacts across the world as Rukmini looks to understand the intricate details

of how ISIS functions as an organization. After years of developing trusted contacts and collecting

evidence on the ground in Iraq, Callimachi imbeds with Iraqi Army forces just as they liberate

Mosul. Her instinct leads to a groundbreaking discovery among the rubble: a treasure trove of

files that reveals the workings one of the world’s most deadly terrorist organizations.

The film launched at a time of renewed discussion on ISIS, Syria and terrorism. The script had to

bring to life this incendiary subject matter while balancing the journalistic integrity of The New

York Times . The script puts us in the reporter’s stream of consciousness, adopting her tone of

voice and while also maintaining The Times ’s inimitable house style . The script, a connected

thread of words that appear on screen creating the effect of a continuously rewritten headline,

was central to putting to putting the viewer in the Callimachi’s psyche as she forged deeper

behind the lines of the world’s most feared terror organization.

This film looks to shed light on the rigor behind journalism and why it's all worth it. It’s a piece of work

about pursuing the truth wherever it may lead and bringing that truth back in word form for the world to

read. At the core of the film is a single, connected thread of animated words that appear on-screen as

though viewers are seeing a continuous writing and rewriting of headlines. The film lived in its own distinct

sonic world, designed to reflect the rough, arid, insufferable Iraqi landscape. At times, deliberately harsh

and somewhat unpredictable, the design should not be totally pleasing to the ear, but should put the

viewer on edge and create a sense of unease, leaving viewers feeling like they’ve been through even a

fraction of what the journalist experienced.