Control Room (2004)

A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.

Director:

Jehane Noujaim

Writers:

Julia Bacha, Jehane Noujaim

Stars:

Samir Khader, Josh Rushing, George W. Bush

9 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Samir Khader	...	Himself
Josh Rushing	...	Himself (as Lt. Josh Rushing)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hassan Ibrahim	...	Himself
Deema Khatib	...	Herself
Tom Mintier	...	Himself
Donald Rumsfeld	...	Himself (archive footage)
David Shuster	...	Himself

Storyline

A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.

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Plot Keywords:

iraq | f rated | media bias | television news | baghdad iraq | 

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Taglines:

Different channels. Different truths.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

Arabic English

Release Date:

18 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Central Al Jazeera

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,125, 23 May 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,586,511, 31 October 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Noujaim Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

57 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Hassan Ibrahim: These insensitive Americans roll over everyone to get their way, and what happens to soft-spoken people like me? We get pushed aside.

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Connections

References The Price Is Right (1972)

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Soundtracks

Lemon Tree
Composed by Hani Salama
Performed by Hani Salama
Courtesy of Sense of Occation

User Reviews

Should be REQUIRED for some viewing

I'll be the first to admit that this film is good but not great. All politics aside, I was just left hanging in the balance wanting MORE. Though I can appreciate their limited access to outside footage and English-speaking counterparts, certain scenes tended to drag on a bit and left me wondering what could have been.

That said, per my subject heading, I feel that this should be REQUIRED viewing for any concerned citizen grappling with the media coverage and news-spin of this and all other wars. Much like BRAVO's "Anatomy Of A Scene", the unfolding of the 'end of the war' and the subsequent toppling of Saddam's statue in the square both serve as serious examples of Al Jazeera news coverage vs. 'The Big Boys'. It's just completely different when seen through the intelligent, capable eyes of the Al-Jazeera staff than what we're spoon-fed by Fox, et. al. Check it out...... Really.....