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11'09"01 (2002)

Eleven international directors were invited to create eleven minutes of film in response to the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, in New York City.

Where to find the Twin Towers:

Throughout the entire film; it's all about 9/11. Moving and often emotionally devastating, this is an incredible collection of short films that must be seen. As I understand it, 11'09"01 has never been released in the United States (many of the films take a hard view of the U.S.); I had to stay up until 3:00 a.m. to watch it on TV during a trip to Australia a few years ago. Fortunately — and amazingly — the film was finally released on DVD in October, 2004. Warning: There is "live" footage from that awful day.

- JR

9/11 WTC Ground Zero Heroes (2005)

DVD

The prayers, the tears, the painstaking recovery & cleanup operation at Ground Zero seen as it was happening & captured by Steve Spak. This is what it was like to work at Ground Zero. This video was taken over the 8-month period during the cleanup & recovery operation. ...

9/11: The Filmmakers' Commemorative Edition (2002)

DVD

* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED *

Originally broadcast on CBS in March 2002, 9/11 is an extraordinary record of that fateful day in New York City. This one-of-a-kind documentary was originally conceived as a portrait of 21-year-old Tony Benetatos, a firefighter trainee at Manhattan's Duane Street firehouse, located seven blocks from the World Trade Center. By the time filming was finished, brothers Jules and Gedeon Naudet had captured history in the making, including the only image of the first jetliner striking Tower 1, and the only footage from within the tower as it collapsed. This is not, however, a film about the murderous nightmare of terrorism. It's the ultimate rite-of-passage drama, more immediate and meaningful than any fiction film could be, with Benetatos and his supportive colleagues emerging as heroes of the first order. Sensitively narrated by codirector and fellow firefighter James Hanlon, 9/11 will endure forever as a tribute to those, living and dead, who witnessed hell on that sunny Tuesday morning.

- Jeff Shannon
© Amazon.com. Used with permission.

Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11 (2003)

DVD

With the increasing controversy surrounding the federal probe into the September 11 terrorist attacks, GNN decided to pre-empt the government and produce its own version of a "truth commission" with Aftermath: Unanswered Question from 9/11. What did the Bush administration know and when? Should airlines have been more prepared for 9/11? What ties did the US government have, if any, with the terrorists? Aftermath delves into the troubling span of issues that have arisen since the attacks on 9/11, including: the negligence of military officials in reacting to the hijackings; proven links between the hijackers, Pakistani intelligence (ISI) and the CIA; the role of oil in the Eurasian conflict; the impact of post-911 legislation on American civil liberties. The film poses questions that continue to overshadow and critically challenge the administration’s official version of the story, and is a must see for those who continue to question the terrible and as yet unexplained events of that day. Narration and original score by hip-hop legend Paris.

Answering The Call: Ground Zero's Volunteers (2005)

DVD

Narrated by Kathleen Turner. From the official site: "Within minutes of the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11/01, emergency personnel and volunteers from around the nation responded to New York's call for help in what is considered by many as the greatest rescue mission ever. When everything could have totally fallen apart, these remarkabale [sic] people revealed to the world the true meaning of the American Spirit. This is their story!"

JR's warning: This is not a "pure" documentary. Again, from the official site: "In order to illustrate some of the recollections of those interviewed for Answering The Call, the producers have supplemented existing ground zero footage with re-enactment scenes that were filmed in Delaware in late March."

Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Where to find the Twin Towers:

Includes 9/11 footage of the North Tower on fire, and the second plane hitting the South Tower.

- JR

Clear the Skies: 9/11 Air Defense (2002)

DVD

* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED *

Strategic response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is thoroughly analyzed in the riveting BBC documentary Clear the Skies: 9/11 Air Defense. This hourlong program examines the events on 9/11 from the perspective of U.S. domestic defense, beginning at 8:30 a.m., shortly before the first hijacked jet struck the World Trade Center towers, and ending late that afternoon when President Bush safely returned to Washington, D.C. Dozens of startling details are revealed, including the fact that only four Air Force fighters were available to defend the entire Northeastern United States; the blast doors in the North American Air Defense command center, deep within Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain, were closed for the first time since operations began in 1966; and President Bush assured reporters on Air Force One that "two-bit thugs" would not keep America down (a candid off-the-record expression of Bush's anger).

What emerges from this chronological account is the sobering conclusion that America was unprepared for this "new kind of war." But Clear the Skies also demonstrates how admirable efficiency prevailed under extreme circumstances, as Air Force pilots, reporters, and government officials share their memories of those unforgettable hours. Emphasis is placed on procedures that grounded nearly 5,000 aircraft to achieve an unprecedented state of "Air Traffic Control Zero." Actual radar footage shows how quickly this was accomplished, and a step-by-step analysis of the day's events (using file footage, photos, and dramatic reenactments) shows how the protection of America's executive chain of command was 100% successful. With a compelling combination of split-screen images and deep-background investigation, Clear the Skies offers an all-access pass to the complexities of air defense. Among the many fine DVDs that chronicle 9/11 from a variety of perspectives, this is one of the best.

- Jeff Shannon
© Amazon.com. Used with permission.

CNN Tribute: America Remembers (2002)

DVD

This comprehensive documentary gives you a powerful, minute-by-minute account of the events of 9/11 as they developed, as well as a compelling look at the aftermath: a time of reflection, resolve, and retaliation. CNN's tribute to our nation's spirit will move you, inspire you, and leave an impression as unforgettable as the events it chronicles.

Diverted (2009)

REGION 2 DVD

Where to find the Twin Towers:

This documentary about the flights diverted from the U.S. to Newfoundland (Canada) during the 9/11 attacks shows brief footage of the attacks on the WTC. - JR

History Channel: Modern Marvels: Engineering Disasters 13 (2002)

OWN IT

This doco, which also covers the Love Canal disaster and the Cocoanut Grove fire, pays especially close attention to the collapse of WTC 7 (as an "engineering disaster"). - JR

In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01 (2002)

DVD

Originally shown on HBO on May 26, 2002, In Memoriam is one of the most vital documents to emerge after the events of September 11, 2001. Compiled from over 100 sources, this collage of audio, video, and photography will provoke tears, anger, and grief all over again... so why watch it? The title states the purpose: as disturbing as some of these images are, they are also bursting with tenacious and inspiring humanity, bolstered by the wisdom of New York City's then-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who recalls — along with his executive staff — the horrendous events of 9/11 as he entered the chaos of Ground Zero. With its closing montage of numerous memorial services, this exemplary 60-minute film, supplemented on the DVD by an interactive timeline of pivotal events, makes it virtually impossible to forget the 3,047 lives lost to terrorist brutality. Despite the astonishing scope of coverage provided, this is not a journalistic endeavor, but a potent visual reminder that 9/11 was a day of unity, transcending the horrors witnessed here.

Let Freedom Ring: Images of the American Spirit (2001)

DVD

As a tribute to the American spirit conceived after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Let Freedom Ring: Images of the American Spirit takes an unusual and not entirely successful approach. Proceeding without an overall narration, the production features footage of events that have become icons of American history. Included are scenes of the legendary flag raising on Iwo Jima, World War II victory celebrations, the inauguration of John F. Kennedy, the liftoff of Apollo 11, and the explosion of the Challenger. The film concludes with CBS News clips of the September 11 attacks and lengthy excerpts from speeches of President George W. Bush that followed the tragedies. While this video seems haphazardly constructed, and there are some odd mistakes (such as indicating that President John F. Kennedy's funeral took place in 1962), it is interesting as a collection of footage of some remarkable and inspiring historical events.

Man on Wire (2008)

From the cover: "On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire and illegally rigged between the New York's twin towers. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released. This documentary complies Petit s footage to show the numerous extraordinary challenges he faced in completing the artistic crime of the century."

National Geographic: Inside 9/11 (2005)

DVD

Of all the documentaries that deal with the horrible events of September 11, 2001, National Geographic's two-part, 3-1/2-hour program Inside 9/11 is the only one to trace the evolution of Osama bin Laden's reign of terror from its origins in the Soviet-Afghan war of the early 1980s to 9/11 and beyond.

Presented as a comprehensive timeline that culminates in the hijacking of four passenger jets (including those that destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York), the program incorporates news footage and archival photos, computer graphics, thoroughly researched documentation, and eyewitness interviews to build an epic chronology of Islamic fundamentalism, carried out by radical sects which, in bin Laden's own words, "love death" with a religious fervor that was largely dismissed, in the early stages of terrorist assembly, by American intelligence services. The stage is set for bin Laden's well-financed orchestration of al Qaeda activities, and Inside 9/11 reaches a factual fever pitch as it focuses on the major players (including 9/11 architect Khalil Shaikh Mohammed, hijacker pilots Mohamed Atta and Ziad Jarrah, and other "sleeper cell" terrorists) as the countdown to 9/11 continues.

What emerges from this minute-by-minute account is, in the harsh light of history, a much-needed understanding of how 9/11 happened, the conditions that led to lapses in CIA and FBI cooperation, airport security, and the "holy war" that bin Laden had so effectively precipitated. Subsequent, post-9/11 suicide missions are also included in this expansive chronology, making it potently clear that the war on terror will continue, and in some respects has only just begun.

NOVA: Why the Towers Fell (2002)

VHS

"An Exclusive Investigation into the Collapse of the World Trade Center"

* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED *

In the aftermath of the collapse, the questions came quickly and urgently: was it inevitable that such a severely damaged structure would completely collapse? Or was there something about the building's design or construction that made it especially susceptible to failure? What exactly caused that failure — fire, heat, internal damage? Was the evacuation plan adequate enough to save the maximum number of lives? And are other tall buildings just as vulnerable to collapse when the blast is great and the fire uncontrolled? In the gray wasteland of smoke and dust and mangled steel that was once the third tallest building in the world, forensic engineers began sifting the wreckage for clues and answers to these and other structural truths. This blue-ribbon team of engineers is nearing the end of its task, and NOVA has been there from the beginning, following its investigation of the causes of the calamity. Why the Towers Fell presents the engineers' conclusions in the most definitive explanation yet of how and why the towers collapsed.

But the Twin Towers weren't the only buildings that collapsed. Standing well over a city block from Trade Center Tower #1, a forty-eight-story glass and steel structure known simply as Building #7 did not seem to suffer structural damage from the collapsing towers but nonetheless crashed to the ground after several hours of severe and uncontrolled fire. Since Building #7 is a typical glass and steel building and seems to have collapsed from fire alone, does this mean that office workers the world over are far more vulnerable than anyone ever imagined?

Featuring many of this country's best structural engineers including Gene Corley, the lead investigator on the Oklahoma City bombing; Charles Thornton, the builder of the Petronas Towers (the world's tallest building); and Mark Loiseaux, the leading expert on the "purposeful" demolition of big buildings, the program takes viewers through the process by which these professionals came to understand the how's and why's of one of modern America's greatest tragedies.

Also presented are several of the buildings' survivors, who tell compelling real-life stories of their harrowing journeys to safety, including three firemen who miraculously escaped death as Tower #2 collapsed around them. With rare, video-enhanced footage showing details of the buildings' structural damage never before seen on TV, and detailed animation sequences that let viewers "see through" the buildings to the damage that had occurred inside, this NOVA is one of its most harrowing and memorable hours.

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