The images of September 11, 2001 are burned into our minds. We think of the horrors of that day and all the lives that were lost in the terrorist attacks. But what about September 10th? 9/10: The Final Hours is an interesting documentary on National Geographic Channel that dissects the lives of people who were directly affected by the events – those who just missed being in the twin towers, those who innocently had contact with the terrorists, and those who were in the towers just hours before the attacks.
There are several stories that resonate during this documentary. There is the bar tender who just hours before the first plane flew into the WTC, conducted a mixology seminar and who had created specific drinks to commemorate the scenery from the top of the towers. There is the man who had spent the night of September 10 having dinner at The Windows on the World with his mother and sister, who worked at Canter Fitzgerald and who died the next day. Her effects contained the bill from the previous night’s dinner.
There is the night clerk from the hotel where two terrorists spent their last night. There are the airline personnel who interacted with the terrorists and the baggage manager who declined to place Mohammad Atta’s luggage on the plane because it was late getting to Boston from the departure city in Maine.
And then we hear about the artist who spent the night in the art studio in the tower because he worked late and didn’t want to miss his appointment the next day. Yes, he was one of those killed in the attack.
These are people whose personal stories will remain with them the rest of their lives. They are poignant and heartening. The story of the last homily of the fire department’s priest who was killed the next day, the story of the Mayoral candidate who was running in the primary that was originally scheduled for September 11, the story of the NYU students who saw the events unfold from their dorm room, and more personal stories create the picture of the life of NYC just hours before it changed forever.
There are several heartening stories of people in the area the night before and the morning of the attacks. This documentary humanizes the stories and turns the events not into a story of terrorism, but a story of humanity.
9/10: The Final Hours premiers Sunday, September 7, 2014 on Nat Geo.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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