On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report

Lionsgate is releasing the DVD edition of this compelling documentary just one day after it airs on Court TV. That might be a risky marketing ploy except for the fact that the disc will contain an expanded version (some 30 minutes are added) along with numerous extras. On Native Soil covers the activities of the 9/11 Commission, which was established to determine what really happened on that fateful day and to propose solutions to our government's intelligence-gathering and disaster-response mechanisms. Footage of the Commission's hearings is augmented by interviews with government officials, politicians and family members who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. For the most part, the documentary proceeds straightforwardly, but Court TV's claim that it's "completely non-partisan, non-political" is somewhat disingenuous. The Commission hearings were nothing if not political, and the partisan leanings of certain members are plainly apparent from the beginning. (No commission appoints Democrat sharpshooter Richard Ben-Veniste to ensure an evenhanded investigation.) Still, this is an important film that should reach the widest possible audience. It will doubtless sell to the institutional market but should be touted to mainstream audiences as well.