More than three dozen area residents took advantage of a rare opportunity earlier this week: they attended a special sneak peek of a new documentary film — for free.

The film, "Wham! Bam! Islam!," was screened in New Haven at Yale University's Whitney Humanities Center Thursday evening.

The documentary follows the creation of THE 99, the first Muslim superhero comic book series created by Kuwaiti entrepreneur Naif Al-Mutawa.

Each of the series' characters are based on one of the 99 aspects or attributes of Allah, the Islamic word for God (Al-Mutawa discusses the ideas behind the series' creation during a TED conference talk captured on video, which is in the photo/video gallery at the right that accompanies this article).

And it is a concept the Kuwaiti hoped would help shine a more positive light on Islam, both inside and outside of the Muslim world, post-9/11.

Wham! Bam! Islam! director Isaac Solotaroff spent more than four years on the project, which finally finished production in June.

During that time, Solotaroff's camera captured the tumultuous journey of THE 99: from concept to reality, from acclaim to censure by Muslim religious leaders, from the edge of bankruptcy to plans for theme parks, as Al-Mutawa dodges cultural minefields and financial obstacles, while at the same time doggedly pursuing his creative vision.

Wham! Bam! Islam! will have its official premiere next month when it kicks off the 10th season of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series "Independent Lens" on Oct.  13.

Gearing up for the television broadcast, Solotaroff has embarked on a six-city sneak peek tour of the film. And the Whitney Center's screening was its first stop.

In addition to viewing the documentary Thursday night, filmgoers were also given the opportunity to ask Solotaroff — as well as two of the animators who worked on the movie Reno Msad and Camilla Wycoco — questions afterwards.

During the discussion, the director said he was drawn to make the film after meeting and speaking with Al-Mutawa just as he began his quest to create the comic book series.

"I was a really fascinated with this guy, he was pushing these secular ideas in a very conservative part of the world," Solotaroff said of Kuwait and the several other Middle Eastern countries where the comics would eventually be sold.

"Eventually, it became less and less about the comics themselves, and more about the struggle he had to confront to pull this off," he said.

When asked what the most difficult part of making the film was, Solotaroff said it was ensuring the film was fair and balanced when tackling its subject matter.

"It's very hard to root against THE 99, but Naif also has his shortcomings. And it was important to maintain that objectivity," he said, adding that objectivity is always an important aspect of any solid storytelling. "It's a balancing act."

Solotaroff concluded by saying he intends to continue his work on the film, focusing on the opposition to the animated version of the comic series being broadcast here in the U.S.

The Discovery Channel had purchased the exclusive rights to show the cartoon on it's new channel The Hub. But Solotaroff said the cable network backed down after it was targeted by groups who said they feared the series could lead to young, impressionable American viewers being indoctrinated with Islamic ideas and teachings.

"The turn it is taking in the U.S. is fascinating," Solotaroff said.

"We have our own brand of fundamentalism here in our own country that can be very limiting," he said.

And so, he said he looks forward to exploring this latest chapter in current history of THE 99.

"It's the film that keeps on giving," Solotaroff said.

To learn more about the film and the issues involved, visit the PBS companion website for Wham! Bam! Islam! The site also features a "Talkback" section where viewers can share their ideas and opinions.