"September 11 was supposed to be a quiet day for me," says New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani at the beginning of this one-hour documentary. It turned out to be the greatest test of leadership that any public figure could encounter. The cameras follow Giuliani as he and his staff move quickly to the World Trade Center to assess the situation. He is seen ducking into doorways to avoid falling debris, encouraging the crowds to stay calm and to “walk north,” and giving the first of many press conferences that would update the nation on the tragedy in his city.
The video footage and still photographs featured in the documentary were collected from more than 100 people in and around New York. What they saw is supplemented by what many felt, revealed in interviews with the Mayor, the Police Commissioner, the Fire Commissioners, and members of their staffs. Included are some startling images taken from police helicopters above the burning Towers, as well as a poignant interview with the Mayor’s Executive Assistant who watched the buildings go down knowing that her husband, a firefighter, was inside them.
The documentary’s haunting score was recorded by the New York Philharmonic, whose members played many free concerts in lower Manhattan after the tragedy. The recording consists entirely of selections American composers Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, John Corigliano, Bernard Herrmann, Charles Ives, William Schuman, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. When the images on the screen get too intense, just close your eyes and listen.
