Syriana is a
2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by
Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by
George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an
ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely
adapted from
Robert Baer's memoir
See No Evil. The film focuses on
petroleum politics, and the global influence of the oil industry, whose political, economic, legal, and social effects are experienced by a
CIA operative (
George Clooney), an energy analyst (
Matt Damon), a
Washington attorney (
Jeffrey Wright), and a young unemployed Pakistani migrant worker (
Mazhar Munir) in an Arab country in the Persian Gulf.
As with Gaghan's screenplay for
Traffic,
Syriana uses multiple, parallel storylines, jumping from locations in
Texas,
Washington D.C.,
Switzerland,
Spain, and the
Middle East.
Clooney won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Agent Bob Barnes, and Gaghan's script was nominated by the Academy for
Best Original Screenplay. As of April 20, 2006, the film grossed a total of $50.82 million in the U.S. box office and $42.9 million in the rest of the world, for a total of $93.73 million.