CONTROL ROOM

This film is a masterwork of the war seen from the vantage point of Al Jazeera

The director is Egyptian-American, and the Arabs in the film are far more confiding than they would be to any purely Western film-makers. They feel hurt and betrayed – unable to balance their resentment of the fact that it requires America to eject an Arab tyrant with their desire to see the back of him. We haven’t seen these views expressed before – and we need to understand them. The film is packed with brilliantly observed episodes; it will become a classic of media coverage.

Beautifully shot and edited, the film is surprising because of its melancholy tone. It’s not explicitly and anti-war film – in fact it proves to be surprisingly even-handed. But you come away with a deep sense of waste and foreboding. Why the war happened is only too clear – whether it had to be fought is something we’ll be arguing over for many years.

Release year:

2004

Director:

Jehane Noujaim

Running length:

57 & 85 minutes

Production company:

Noujaim Films

Prizes:

Control Room has won prizes at numerous international festivals

 

Categories:

• Feature Lenghts
• People & Culture