The Treatment

Documentary filmmaker Lucy Walker (Devil's Playground, Blindsight) has made films in improbable worlds: Amish teenagers, blind mountaineers, and, with Countdown to Zero, the nuclear arms issue. Walker and former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson talk "phishing."

Walker talks about the broad spectrum of people who appear in the film -- from a convicted uranium smuggler to eleven heads of state, the frustrations of dealing with classified situations and subjects, and using her skills as a narrative filmmaker to construct a compelling documentary. Plame Wilson discusses her involvement in the documentary, the aftermath of the Cold War, the startling number of nuclear weapons in the world today and, the Washington Post article that revealed her as a CIA operations officer.

NOTE: Countdown to Zero will screen at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood on July 31 at 5:20 and 7:30, as part of KCRW Presents Zócalo Public Square. All programs are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are strongly recommended. To RSVP, click on the screening time of your choice.