9/11 (2002)

A real life documentary following the events of September 11 from an insider's view, through the lens of James Hanlon and two French filmmakers who were in Manhattan that one day.

Directors:

James Hanlon, Gédéon Naudet

Writers:

Tom Forman, Greg Kandra

Stars:

Tony Benatatos, Jamal Braithwaite, Steve Buscemi

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tony Benatatos	...	Self
Jamal Braithwaite	...	Self
Steve Buscemi	...	Self in TV Broadcast
Joe Casaliggi	...	Self (as Joseph Casaliggi)
Robert De Niro	...	Self - Host in TV Broadcast
James Hanlon	...	Self
Gédéon Naudet	...	Self
Jules Naudet	...	Self
Joseph Pfeifer	...	Self
Tom Spinard	...	Self
Dennis Tardio	...	Self

Storyline

On September 11, 2001, filmmaker James Hanlon and Jules and Gedeon Naudet were filming a documentary on a rookie New York City firefighter when they noticed a plane overhead. That plane would hit the World Trade Center. They rushed immediately to the scene. James Hanlon and the Naudets filmed throughout Sept. 11 and the days afterward from the firemen's perspective, as it became clear to them that this was the only known footage from inside the Twin Towers that day.

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Plot Keywords:

french | new york city | september 11 2001 | firefighter | documentarian | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This documentary contains the only footage from the lobby of Tower One after flight 11 hit until the collapse of Tower Two.

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Goofs

When firefighter Tony Benatatos is angrily commenting about the attack on the Pentagon, the clock above him reads exactly 9:30. The attack on the Pentagon did not occur until 9:37.

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Quotes

Tony Benetatos: I know it's either this... or the Army now. And I like savin' lives, I don't like taking them. But after what I saw... if my country decides to send me... to go kill... I'll... I'll do it now.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD version omits the scenes where Robert DeNiro and Steve Buscemi talk about the attacks. In the original broadcast version, just before the first plane hits, we hear James Hanlon say "It was 8:46 in the morning. That's when this stopped even resembling a normal day." On the DVD, the second sentence is replaced with a line from Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer, commenting on how you don't usually hear planes fly that low in Manhattan.

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Connections

Edited into 9/11: Fifteen Years Later (2016)

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Soundtracks

Defy
Performed by The Original Bamboozler

User Reviews

Great Documentary

Made by french brothers Jules and Giddeon Naudet, and narrated by Robert De Niro and Firefighter James Hanlon this is a compelling and heartbreaking tale of how New York's finest shone on it's darkest day. I first saw this when I was a young naive 12 year old, and at that age it still touched me. Knowing how serious 9/11 really was seeing this expanded the whole effect of 9/11. We were finding out who the heroes were, how there everyday lives were composed, and how they put their lives on the line in a situation where most people would just run and save their selves. These brave men put their lives on the line and watching this just increases my admiration for them. Watch if you can,this is the best documentary I have personally ever seen.

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

9/11

Filming Locations:

FDNY Engine 7 Ladder 1 - 100 Duane Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS, Goldfish Pictures, Reveille Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 128 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1