“1974. 1350 feet up. The artistic crime of the century.”

To commemorate 9/11 this year, I’ve decided to stray away from anything relating to destruction and death.

A film to watch in commemoration of 9/11’s 13th anniversary is a documentary titled Man on Wire (2008).

This film tells the story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who performed a 45-minute high-wire walk across the tops of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in the morning hours of Aug. 7, 1974.

The beauty of this film is that it shows 70s footage of the towers’ construction and the days when they were hailed as the world’s tallest buildings—20 years before destruction and death ever became synonymous with the Twin Towers. The viewer gets to see the buildings in their prime, so to speak.

The wire-walk itself is incredible, and rather daunting to one terrified of heights, such as myself.

I first heard of this film on a Houston public affairs radio show five to six years ago, the host of which is also a French native. I first watched it my second year in college, and am now reuniting with it for the first time since.

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My favorite line from the film is when Petit describes his first experience on the roof of the North Tower, looking down upon Manhattan from 110 stories. Realizing the task before him, Petit says:

“Now, it’s impossible, that’s sure. So let’s start working.”

The film is currently available for streaming on Netflix, but for any non-Netflix users out there who happen to see this, there’s a YouTube copy here. I apologize that some of moments spoken in French aren’t subtitled.

Unforgettable Imagery

In taking a moment to break away from the entertainment aspect of film, this week I want to recognize the 12^th anniversary of the tragic day we all remember.  One of the reasons those outside of Manhattan remember this day so well is because of the unforgettable images captured on film.

Documentary DVD cover art

These two documentaries are, in my opinion, two of the most important collections of footage from Sep. 11, 2001.

9/11, filmed by French-born American filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet, is more about New York firefighters than the attacks.  Working with the New York Fire Department, Jules recorded incredible footage from inside the North Tower of the World Trade Center of firefighters working to save as many lives as possible, while his brother captured local reactions in the streets of Manhattan.

From left to right: Jules Naudet, Gédéon Naudet, and Firefighter James Hanlon

One of the most famous shots from this film is Jules’ capture of American Airlines Flight 11 hitting the North Tower.  This is one of only four known recordings of the incident, one of three video recordings, and the only detailed footage of the crash.

Overall, 9/11 is an extraordinary documentary that tells the heroic story of one battalion, but represents the heroism of the entire New York City Fire Department.

102 Minutes That Changed America captures the horror in Manhattan entirely from the locals’ point of view.  As a compilation, hundreds of amateur and professional photographers, who decided to keep their cameras rolling amidst the chaos, make it so one doesn’t have to describe the events.

The film’s format presents the day’s events in real time with no witness cutaways and mixes in audio recordings of 9-1-1 dispatchers, news anchors, and fire department radio with little to no music in between.  This gives the presentation a harrowing sense of realism that grabs the viewer without any effort.

“Pedestrians react to the World Trade Center collapse”

One of the more unfathomable parts of the film is the captured reactions of citizens in Times Square; faces of shock and disbelief staring up at the square’s jumbotron.  Surrounded by tall buildings and traffic, anyone in Times Square would probably feel cut off from the horror occurring in the Financial District, despite being only 5 miles away.

‘People in Times Square watch the World Trade Center fire live”

These events, and all the films that share their impact, will remain with us for the foreseeable future; a result of living in the digital age.

Power imagery.  It’s why we remember.