Study Guides: Control Room
(Jehane Noujaim, 2004; 86 minutes)
- Screenwriters: Julia Bacha, Jehane Noujaim
- Cinematographers: Jehane Noujaim, Hani Salama
- Supervising Editor: Alan Oxman
- Distributor: Lion’s Gate Entertainment
- Web site: www.controlroommovie.com
Abstract by Tom Keogh (from amazon.com)
Startling and powerful, Control Room is a documentary about the Arab television network Al-Jazeera’s coverage of the U.S.-led Iraqi war, and conflicts that arose in managed perceptions of truth between that news media outlet and the American military. Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (Startup.com) catches the frantic action at Al-Jazeera headquarters as President Bush stipulates his 48-hour, get-out-of-town warning to Saddam Hussein and sons, soon followed by the network’s shocking footage of Iraqi civilians terrorized and killed by invading U.S. troops. Al-Jazeera’s determination to show images and report details outside the Pentagon's carefully controlled information flow draws the wrath of American officials, who accuse it of being an al-Qaida propagandist. (The killing of an Al-Jazeera reporter in what appears to be a deliberately targeted air strike is horrifying.) Most fascinating is the way Control Room allows well-meaning, Western-educated, pro-democratic Arabs an opportunity to express views on Iraq as they see it--in an international context, and in a way most Americans never hear about.
Major Characters (Images below)
- Samir Khader, Correspondent, Al-Jazeera
- Hassan Ibrahim, Correspondent, Al-Jazeera
- Deema Khatib, Producer, Al-Jazeera
- Joanne Tucker, Manager, Aljazeera.net
- Tariq Ayyoub, Correspondent, Al-Jazeera
- Lt. Josh Rushing, Press Officer, U.S. Marines
- Tom Mintier, Correspondent, CNN
- David Shuster, Correspondent, NBC
- Abdullah Schleifer, Media Analyst
Discussion Questions
- What common point or theme is conveyed by the segments about the “Most Wanted” playing cards, the rescue of Jessica Lynch, and the fall of Saddam's statue in Fardus Square?
- What is Donald Rumsfeld’s critique of Al-Jazeera? How do the Al-Jazeera correspondents respond?
- What does the film say explicitly about journalistic “objectivity”?
- Is Control Room itself “objective”? Use specific evidence from
the film to support
your answer. - The film makes a point of contrasting the different reactions to the Fardus Square events among the Al-Jazeera staff compared to the Western journalists at U.S. Central Command. What point are the filmmakers trying to make?
- What are the Western journalists’ reactions to the death of Tariq Ayyoub? Why do you think the filmmakers included this segment?
- Why do you think Josh Rushing tells the story about his different reactions to images of wounded Iraqis versus images of wounded U.S. soldiers? Does this information help or hurt his credibility as a press officer? Why do you think the filmmakers include this segment?
Major Characters in Control Room
Samir Khader
Senior Correspondent
Al-Jazeera
Hassan Ibrahim
Correspondent
Al-Jazeera
Deema Khatib
Producer
Al-Jazeera
Tariq Ayyoub
Correspondent
Al-Jazeera
Joanne Tucker
Manager
Al-Jazeera.net
Lt. Josh Rushing
Press Officer
U.S. Marines
David Shuster
Correspondent
NBC
Tom Mintier
Correspondent
CNN
Abdullah Schleifer
Media Analyst
American U. of Cairo