The Hurt Locker Setting is Iraq and Iraqwar. The Hurt Locker is a 2008 American war film about an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who are targeted by insurgents. It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. The film follows the members of an EOD team as they try to survive the daily hazards of the Iraq War. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bigelow, the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director.