Interview during the 82nd edition of Venice International Film Festival with Kathryn Bigelow, director of the film “A House of Dynamite”, and screenwriter Noah Oppenheim. The production, in competition in Venice Film Festival 2025, describes the reaction of a fictional White House when a nuclear missile is aimed to Chicago, with only 18 minutes to react.
During their interview with FRED Film Radio, Kathryn Bigelow explained how the film shows the lack of tools of the American administration during an attack of this caliber. Noah Oppenheim described the process of writing the script, taking in account every level of the Federal Government involved in an emergency like this.
“A House of Dynamite” is divided in three different chapters -‘Rashomon’ style- and takes us to the deep roots of the American administration: from the military to the Oval Office. Actors such as Idris Elba or Rebecca Fergusson embody every level of the civil servant that have to face the same question: what to do during a nuclear attack?
Plot
When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.