tinyurl.com/bjde3 -> www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002X8U4I/qid=1121712473/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9280448-8519312
com Startling and powerful, Control Room is a documentary about the Arab tele vision network Al-Jazeera's coverage of the US-led Iraqi war, and conf licts that arose in managed perceptions of truth between that news media outlet and the American military. com) catches the frantic action at Al-Jazeera headquarter s as President Bush stipulates his 48-hour, get-out-of-town warning to S addam Hussein and sons, soon followed by the network's shocking footage of Iraqi civilians terrorized and killed by invading US troops. Al-Jaz eera's determination to show images and report details outside the Penta gon's carefully controlled information flow draws the wrath of American officials, who accuse it of being an al-Qaida propagandist.
This award winning 2003 documentary tells the story of the war in Iraq fr om the point of view of Al Jazeera, the television network that brings t he news to 40 million people in the Arab-speaking world. Many of the cha llenges it faces are shared by journalists everywhere. And they are all under pressure to spin the story to their employers' wishes. The viewer meets the people who produce this news network. There's the di rector Samir Khader, the chain smoking and cynical head of the organizat ion. He freely admits he'd be willing to work for Fox News if offered th e job and wants to send his children to America for their educations. He's a well-spoken pud gy man with a clear mind, who sees the world through a slightly differen t filter that I do. And a lot of what he says makes sense challenging my perceptions on a very human level. There's Deema Khatib, one of the Al Jazeera staff members, whose playful expressive large brown eyes sparkle with a great sense of humor, She's unveiled and modern and obviously we ll educated. Then there is Lieutenant Josh Rushing, who clearly is doing his best to explain US policy. He's blue eyed and personable and very American and has a calm demeanor and a high intellect. His interchanges with Al Jazeera personnel show a depth of understanding for all sides o f the question. The film begins in March 2003 as American troops invade Iraq. Al J azeera is fast to point out some troubling realities of American foreign policy. And, in this documentary at least, it attempts show that its ne ws coverage is fair and balanced. And what made me think even more were the special features included on th e DVD which show more interviews with the subjects of the film and adds a bit of humanity to them all, including the American Lieutenant who has the hard job of trying to placate all sides. This is fine and troubling film that challenges all our perceptions.
CONTROL ROOM (directed by Jehane Noujaim) For me, Al-Jazeera means one thing: proof. When I think of how skewed and yellow video journalism is, I remember that millions and millions of pe ople in the world are getting their news from Al-Jazeera. That they are willing to challenge a nd question everything from Arab leaders to the United States to the nat ure of unbiased news coverage... Since their start in 1996, they've been slammed in the Arab world for being too pro-American and by the US for being pro-Al Qaeda. As most good lefties know, that usually means you're doing something right. I have much respect for Al-Jazeera and was excit ed to know that a documentary was being made about them and their take o n the War with Iraq. With time-tested verit techniq ue, we see what it is like to run Al-Jazeera and what kinds of people ma ke up the staff from the translators to the journalists. The film travel s back and forth between the stations headquarters in Qatar and CentCom which is the main press briefing room set up by the US military in Iraq. It's a breath of fresh air to see an entire network of people who are s mart and committed to the idea of debate and communication. I don't thin k you could find that at any of the major news networks in the States. T heir operations, anecdotes and analysis are worthy of a documentary alon e But there are specific moments in the film that are especially profound a nd upsetting even to a long-time commie like myself. First and foremost, there is the death of an Al-Jazeera journalist. Before the troops enter ed Baghdad, the US committed air strikes on civilian targets including t he building housing Al-Jazeera. In the attack, one of their corresponden ts is killed along with three other journalists. There is footage of the journalist facing him head-on right up until seconds before the attack. That along with a plea for justice from the journalist's wife and a com pletely absurd justification for the attack from the US is both infuriat ing and literally sickening. The second most important moment in the film is the so-called liberation of Baghdad. As a result of the attack on Al-Jazeera, their remaining cor respondents were forced to return home to Qatar where the network is bas ed. Now recognized as a target of the US military, Iraqis were naturally hesitant to house anyone representing the station. In the end, only the ridiculous foreign press was there to cover the troops coming into the town square and the people toppling over the statue of Saddam Hussein. W hat's most illuminating is the analysis from the Al-Jazeera journalists as they watch the events unfold. Senior Producer Samir Khader talks abou t how he's from Iraq. They didn't look Iraqi and they didn't have Iraqi a ccents. Another journalist wonders why there are only a dozen people cel ebrating. How is it that one of them just happened to have the old Iraqi flag in his pocket? It becomes very obvious, as people have been muttering for some time now th at it was all a faked, staged event for Western "news" cameras. Throughout the film, he is the American representative that has debates and discussions with the m any Arab journalists. Despite having to take the absurd position of defe nding US aggression, he is intelligent and empathetic. At one point he b ecomes self-analytical and candid talking about how he had seen images o f dead Iraqi casualties one day and it didn't affect him. The next day, he was footage of American casualties and it made him sick. At that poin t he really had to face himself and while still in the process at least recognize how much he hates war. With the release of the film, the Pentagon ordered Rushing not to comment on the film. Offended by this gesture, he is now seeking to leave the Marines. It's a movie that will hopefully widen the debate about televis ion and what is objective journalism in this country. It's also another stone catapulted through the wall of Arab stereotypes. It's also an inte lligent and engaging film that is as challenging as it is satisfying.
Al Jazeera is a communication network that broadcasts its messages to the Arab world from its home base in Saudi Arabia. Since the US invasion of Iraq, this network has enjoyed greater publicity and has increased it s following largely because of its outspoken opposition to the war. This documentary takes the viewer on a trip inside this controversial commun ications operation and lets you see what goes on behind the scenes. Many people operate this network operation and the vast majority f them h ave a decidedly anti- American bias. This isn't because of any inherent disliking of Americans, it's because of the US led invasion in Iraq. T he different members of this business come forward on the documentary an d openly express their opposition to this US led war, stating their op inions on the unethical foundation of the war, the hypocrisy, and the fa lse pretenses that led an arrogant nation to forcibly change the leaders hip of a foreign country. What I like best about this documentary is the bluntness of the people on the screen. They hold back nothing when they express their collective o utrage and while some of them make statements that seem a little nave, others make comments that are intelligent and thought- provoking. They v ow to continue to tell people the other side of the story so that the wo rld will know exactly what takes place each day as the US and allied f orces battle for political control in Iraq. Some of the scenes in this docume...
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