'' The Oath '' is a 2010 documentary film directed by Laura Poitras . It tells the cross-cut tale of two men , Abu Jandal and Salim Ahmed Hamdan , whose meeting launched them on juxtaposed paths with al-Qaeda , Osama bin Laden , the September 11 attacks , US military tribunals and the U.S. Supreme Court . The film is the second of a trilogy , with the first being '' My Country , My Country '' ( 2006 ) , documenting the lives of Iraqi citizens during the U.S. occupation of Iraq . The third , '' Citizenfour '' ( 2014 ) , focuses on the NSA 's domestic surveillance programs . '' The Oath '' is distributed both theatrically and non-theatrically in the US by New York-based Zeitgeist Films
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
The Oath (2010 film)