Live from Baghdad (2002)

CNN producer Robert Wiener, his colleague and their crew venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War.

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writers:

Robert Wiener (book), Robert Wiener (teleplay)

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, Joshua Leonard

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Keaton	...	Robert Wiener
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Ingrid Formanek
Joshua Leonard	...	Mark Biello
Lili Taylor	...	Judy Parker
David Suchet	...	Naji Al-Hadithi
Bruce McGill	...	Peter Arnett
Michael Murphy	...	Tom Johnson
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Ed Turner
Hamish Linklater	...	Richard Roth
Michael Cudlitz	...	Tom Murphy
Robert Wisdom	...	Bernard Shaw
Pamela Sinha	...	Fatima (as Pamela Sinna)
Clark Gregg	...	Eason Jordan
Matt Keeslar	...	Nic Robertson
Kurt Fuller	...	Inky

Storyline

Dramatized version of the story of CNN's Gulf War coverage featuring "The Boys from Baghdad": the battle over access, the fight to keep the technology up and running.. and the decision whether to risk their lives behind enemy lines once the bombing starts, in order to get the story of a lifetime.

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Plot Keywords:

cnn | gulf war | iraq | reporter | reference to pepsi | 

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Taglines:

Breaking News - Making History

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

HBO - link to trailer, chatroom, etc.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

En direct de Bagdad

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Industry Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dustin Hoffman stated in a 1994 interview with Larry King, that he was set to play Robert Wiener in this movie, directed by Barry Levinson. He also said that Levinson was considering Jeff Goldblum for the part of Peter Arnett.

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Goofs

The incident where Iraqi soldiers took newborn babies out of their incubators and left them to die turned out to be a hoax in order to generate support for the Persian Gulf War. This was exposed in 1992 a decade before the move was released.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[First lines spoken as characters in the film, preceded by title cards, archival movie dialog, and news announcements]
Robert Wiener: Baghdad is me.
Eason Jordan: You're supposed to be in Berlin.
Robert Wiener: Fuck Berlin. The wall's down. Baghdad is me, Eason.
Eason Jordan: You've never even been to Baghdad.
Robert Wiener: Close enough. Jerusalem.
Eason Jordan: I wouldn't bring up Jerusalem if I were you. It's not a point in your favor.

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Connections

Referenced in Tricks of the Trade: Making 'Matchstick Men' (2004)

User Reviews

Where have all the reporters gone?

Excellent teleplay, exemplary performances. Riveting and thought-provoking. A top-notch production all around.

Beyond what else has been said, LIVE FROM BAGHDAD hails those who, as late as 1991, stood up for the freedom of the press, the battles waged, the compromises made, their failures as well as their successes. Bush the elder had ordered the press out of Baghdad, but failed, as this teleplay depicts. When Bush the younger reentered Iraq, he offered the press corps a leash instead, which most agencies snapped up.

LIVE FROM BAGHDAD, a brilliant bit of reporting done by an extraordinary CNN team, but also a subtle homage to those who help preserve one of the most vital proponents of liberty -- a free press.