Control Room

Most Americans' view of Arab cable television network Al Jazeera no doubt derives from the Bush administration's repeated denunciation of it as a mouthpiece of Islamic extremism and a virtual ally of terrorists. Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim's important documentary Control Room offers a salutary corrective to the official government line: judicious and revealing, if not as complete a portrait as one might wish, the film looks at the beginning of the invasion of Iraq, contrasting the bustle and debate within Al Jazeera's studio with the activity at Centcom, the U.S.-led coalition's information center, where the international press congregate to receive reports on the war. The question implicitly raised by the film is one that asks which of the two operations was the more propagandistic enterprise. But while the picture humanizes Al Jazeera by introducing viewers to such likable figures as Samir Khader (a producer who appears to be striving for some objectivity) and Hassan Ibrahim (a burly BBC-trained reporter with a genuine appreciation of American values), as well as by showing the staff's reaction to the death of one of their correspondents in a U.S. air assault in Baghdad, the documentary also prominently features Lt. Josh Rushing, an idealistic Marine serving as press liaison at Centcom, whose honesty and open-mindedness are equally admirable. Although Control Room offers no information on how the station is funded, it is an entertaining and informative film that performs a significant service in challenging the demonizing of Al Jareeza by U.S. officials. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include three insightful audio commentaries (one by director Jehane Noujaim and producer/cinematographer Hani Salama; another by Capt. Josh Rusing, Central Command Press Officer; and the third by producers/Al Jazeera journalists Hassan Ibrahim and Samir Khader), 31 segments of deleted scenes (1-10 min. each) including four minutes of Al Jazeera promo spots, and trailers. Bottom line: an impressive extras package for a thought-provoking documentary.] (F. Swietek)