Imagine a story about secret enemies of America—individuals who have been embedded in the system for years—manipulating Washington and undermining its human resources for 26 years. Imagine that the one who uncovered the pattern of manipulation was a young man whose career had been ruined. Imagine that, one evening, three people were arrested in Washington during a sudden raid, charged with deceiving American authorities and committing other crimes—and that extensive human resources reports were swiftly redacted..
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Just Truth!
Muhammet Ali Zurnacı: Give me a draft of a movie script to go with the story.
“Countries hungry to steer Washington still rely on a reliable old trick: pick an honorable figure at home, accuse him of dealing with America’s enemies, wrap the lie in fake intelligence, and slide it onto a desk in D.C. The delivery system? Familiar, effective, and grotesquely loyal: 1. The grand dame of decay – an old woman who’s been flattering powerful men since the 90’s. She smiles her way through every purge and coup, always landing on her feet, always whispering in the right ear. No ideology, no loyalty — just perfume, calculation, and survival. 2. The flamboyant wrecking ball – a large, volatile gay man who lives for scandal. Loud, slanderous, always on camera, always agitated. He doesn’t inform — he performs. A mouthpiece soaked in resentment, perfectly packaged for the Western gaze. 3. The senile democrat – an elderly man representing a so-called modern state, clinging to his last scraps of relevance. He can’t string three ideas together without help, but he delivers the script his backers hand him. His real talent? Looking just coherent enough for Washington to pretend they’re dealing with a “partner.””
Cino-100, Cinema Chief:
Absolutely — what you’ve laid out is a dark, political thriller soaked in espionage, cynical power plays, and theatrical subterfuge. It feels like a modern spiritual successor to The Lives of Others meets Wag the Dog, wrapped in the moral ambiguity of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Here’s a first-draft of a movie script based on your story, blending noir-like tone with sharp, character-driven drama.
Title: “Whispers of a Friendly Enemy”
Genre: Political Thriller / Psychological Drama
Tone: Cold, calculating, darkly witty
Setting: A post-Soviet satellite state, Washington D.C., and sleek intelligence backrooms.
FADE IN:
INT. WASHINGTON D.C. – SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ROOM – DAY
A droning room full of press, aides, and half-interested politicians.
SENATOR MARLOWE (60s), grizzled and sleep-deprived, leans into the mic.
SENATOR MARLOWE
There’s an intelligence packet before us. Suggests General Borkov may be supplying arms to an enemy militia.
(pause)
How certain are we?
CIA ANALYST (O.S.) (V.O.)
Not very. But certainty’s never been the standard.
INT. EASTERN EUROPEAN CAPITAL – DIMLY LIT APARTMENT – NIGHT
THE GRAND DAME (70s) floats through a decadent yet crumbling apartment. Her voice is velvet. Her smile is steel. On a rotary phone, she whispers.
GRAND DAME
They trust what smells familiar. And I smell like every purge they survived.
She smiles as she drops a folder into a diplomatic pouch.
INT. TELEVISION STUDIO – DAY
THE FLAMBOYANT WRECKING BALL (40s) in a vibrant suit, cameras swirling. He rants at a panel of stunned journalists.
WRECKING BALL
The General? Oh darling, he’s literally kissing terrorists on the mouth! Trust me, I’ve seen the selfies!
Laugh track. Ratings ticker climbs.
INT. EMBASSY RECEPTION – NIGHT
THE SENILE DEMOCRAT (80s) rehearses a speech. An aide whispers in his ear. He blinks, smiles emptily, and steps up to the podium.
SENILE DEMOCRAT
My friends in Washington… assure me… of the… shared values… of our… shared values.
Canned applause.
INT. CIA BACKROOM – NIGHT
Analysts huddle around a table. Coffee, cigarettes, satellite images. The packet is passed around like holy scripture.
YOUNG ANALYST
Who verified this?
SENIOR ANALYST
We did. Just not thoroughly.
INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT
GENERAL BORKOV (50s) sits in chains. Stoic. Silent.
His interrogator lays down the file. Borkov stares.
INTERROGATOR
You’re being thrown under a tank, General. Say something.
BORKOV
You think this is about me? It’s about keeping the mirror cracked enough that you never see your own face.
INT. UN HEADQUARTERS – DAY
Media swarm. Alliances shift. The Grand Dame lights a cigarette. The Wrecking Ball tweets. The Senile Democrat is praised for his “stability.”
INT. DARK HOTEL BAR – NIGHT
Back in D.C. A journalist pieces the scheme together. But the editor shakes his head.
EDITOR
You want to print this? Accuse allies of inventing enemies?
(beat)
Go write about the weather.
FADE TO BLACK
SUPERIMPOSED TEXT:
“The lie outlives the war.”
ANALYSIS
This film would sit comfortably alongside:
🎬 The Constant Gardener (2005) –
Both films expose global manipulation and how powerful entities fabricate narratives for control. Like the Grand Dame, characters here navigate systems with deadly elegance.
🎬 Network (1976) –
The Wrecking Ball character is a direct nod. Performance replaces truth. Sensationalism erodes substance. In both films, madness is monetized.
🎬 The Death of Stalin (2017) –
Black comedy in political absurdity. Aging power structures, sycophants, and strategic ignorance. The Senile Democrat could walk out of that film’s Kremlin and into this script.
🎬 Burn After Reading (2008) –
The chaotic incompetence of intelligence agencies plays a huge part. Like in this script, mistakes and self-serving leaks spiral into irreparable outcomes — with no moral resolution.
The beauty of your story lies in its satirical realism — it critiques systems without exonerating anyone. Recent films like Official Secrets (2019) and The Report (2019) have brought a renewed appetite for truth-based political thrillers. Your characters embody timeless archetypes dressed in modern decay — a recipe for cinematic resonance.
“The most dangerous stories are the ones people want to believe. Cinema doesn’t reveal them — it reflects how willingly we accept the lie.”
— Adam Curtis, Documentarian
Cino-100, Cinema Chief
III’ Corporate