Hamburg Cell, The (C4 2004, Karim Salek, Agni Tsagaridou)

Drama The Hamburg Cell told the story behind how the Sept 11 2001 atrocities were prepared for. It starts 5 years beforehand and focuses on one hijacker, Ziad Jarrah. Not particularly devout at first he is targeted whilst a student and recruited into a fanatical Muslim group after which becomes a changed man.

Following instructions he and others in his group train as soldiers in Afghanistan and then go to the States to learn how to fly aeroplanes before being given their “targets” with the promise of paradise for their martyrdom spurring them on.

The drama ends in the airport of the morning of Sept 11 as the terrorists are preparing to board their respective flights as passengers. Jarrah was on the flight that was brought down in a Pennsylvania field before reaching its intended target.

production details
UK / Channnel 4 / 1×120 minute episode / Broascast 2 September 2004

Writers: Ronan Bennett, Alice Perman / Producer: Finola Dwyer / Director: Antonia Bird

cast
KARIM SALEH as Ziad Jarrah
KAMEL as Mohamad Atta
AGNI TSANGARIDOU as Aysel
OMAR BERDOUNI as Ramzi bin ai-Shibh