The September 11 hijackers should be understood as human beings, the makers of a controversial television drama that charts their story says.[..]

The two hour drama traces the stories of Ziad Jarrah, who was at the controls of the flight that crashed into a Pennsylvanian field and Mohamed Atta, described as the leader of the German group, who flew the plane which hit the north tower of the World Trade Centre in New York.

Spanning three continents and five years, it re-enacts the known movements of the men as they plotted and trained for the attacks. It seeks to examine what drove a man like Jarrah, who arrived in Germany as a moderate Muslim and left the country bent on destruction.[..]

The film, which is being screened on the publicly owned Channel 4, has received positive reviews in British newspapers.

The Guardian applauded writers Ronan Bennett and Alice Perman.

"The dialogue and action are utterly gripping and believable, and Bennett and Perman have shown much restraint in letting the events speak for themselves," it said.

The Daily Mail described the film as a "sober, chilling depiction" of educated men galvanised by fundamentalism.