Indie Film Podcast Review: Memories From Ground Zero

September 11th through the eyes of those who lived it.

Written by Chuck Norton.

Disclosure: This review was commissioned by the filmmaker. Payment guarantees an honest review, not positive coverage, a predetermined rating, or editorial approval. All opinions are our own.

An Unexplored Look at the Memories From Ground Zero

“(The attacks on) September 11 ended in 102 minutes. For millions, its memory never did.”

Those of us who remember the attacks on September 11, 2001 often feel the moment and ensuing memories are surreal. Most likely because a vast majority of us watched the events unfold from our television screens, the tragic depictions occurring behind a virtual window. For those who lived near the experience, those memories are visceral. If you want to better understand the intensity of that historic day, listen to the stories of two individuals who decided to run towards danger the moment of the first plane crash. It will force you to appreciate the scope of the 9/11 attack.

The Memories From Ground Zero documentary recounts the experiences of off-duty firefighter, Brad Hores, and journalist, Tom Flynn during the chaos near the Twin Towers from the time of the first plane strike at 8:46 AM to the collapse of the second tower at 10:28 AM. In that short span of time, two planes collided with two of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, and those skyscrapers collapsed, in the words of fireman Hores, “into dust.” Hores’s vivid descriptions of how events unfolded that day are accompanied by incredible and horrific archival footage, including never-before-seen footage captured by Eddie Remy, a camera operator who crossed paths with Tom Flynn near the towers after the plane strikes.

As the documentary unfolded, I was floored by the experiences of those on the ground where the towers collapsed. The upsetting descriptions and footage of people scrambling to find safety as concrete and rebar fell from the sky was a lot to process. It was an intense journey that Rory Duffy directed beautifully. When I say this documentary is intense, I mean it. This is the best documentary I’ve seen this year. In just 31 minutes I felt a complete gamut of emotions from complete dread to optimistic hope. Brad Hores’s acrid description of the smell at Ground Zero. Tom Flynn’s depiction of survivors finding themselves trapped in a parking garage after narrowly escaping debris. These were stories I had never heard, and they shook me.

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Thankfully, Memories From Ground Zero is not just a series of tales about horrific events. When tragedy strikes, humans help out other humans. When you watch this documentary and begin to feel full of dread, please hang on and watch until the end. In spite of all the damage that happened on 9/11, the response by New Yorkers reminds me that, ultimately, most humans care about other humans. It’s the silver lining in this large ominous cloud, but I’m glad director Rory Duffy didn’t neglect to highlight that truth.

You can watch Memories From Ground Zero here.