Control Room
An incisive documentary enters Al Jazeera's Baghdad newsroom to examine how wartime images become competing claims about truth, bias, and civilian suffering.
Overview
A revealing look at the Iraq War through the eyes of an unconventional news outlet.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- urgent
- serious
- confrontational
- political documentary night
- media studies viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the documentary's compelling access and nuanced view of wartime journalism, while some questioned its partisan framing and the interpretation of disputed footage.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Interviews with Al Jazeera journalists and American officials expose conflicting accounts of the Iraq War and the politics of broadcast framing.
The documentary contrasts Al Jazeera's civilian casualty and POW coverage with objections from Pentagon and Bush administration figures.
Jehane Noujaim's approach and the film's reception center on the tension between documenting Al Jazeera's perspective and claims of partisan framing.
The film follows communication between Arab journalists, American military representatives, and international audiences across linguistic and political boundaries.
Films like Control Room, and why
The War Tapes
shared observational documentary approach to war reporting, media framing, and competing national perspectives
The Ground Truth
shared focus on Iraq War journalism, contested truth, and the relationship between military events and news coverage
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
shared investigative documentary treatment of mass media, political power, and public perception during wartime
Standard Operating Procedure
shared ethically charged examination of documentary truth, institutional narratives, and selective representation
Movie Details
- Director
- Jehane Noujaim
- Release Date
- 2004-01-22
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (62)
Cast
- Samir Khader
- Josh Rushing
- Hassan Ibrahim
- Abdul Jabbar Al-Kubeisi
- Nabeel Khoury
- David Shuster
- Tom Mintier
- Muafak Tawfik
- Omar Al-Issawi
- Jihad Ali Ballout
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Dox Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Control Room about?
- An incisive documentary enters Al Jazeera's Baghdad newsroom to examine how wartime images become competing claims about truth, bias, and civilian suffering.
- What is Control Room like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Control Room as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Control Room violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Control Room as graphic.
- What did critics think of Control Room?
- Critics broadly praised the documentary's compelling access and nuanced view of wartime journalism, while some questioned its partisan framing and the interpretation of disputed footage.
- Which films are like Control Room?
- Films with a similar feel include The War Tapes, The Ground Truth, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and Standard Operating Procedure.
- How long is Control Room?
- Control Room runs 84 minutes.
- Where can I watch Control Room?
- In United States, Control Room streams on Dox Amazon Channel.
