9/11: The Falling Man

PG 7.2
2006 1 hr 11 min Documentary

An examination of an image - a falling man from the North Tower, frozen in mid air - circulated by the press immediately after the September 11 attacks, the public's reaction, and why it was later deemed un-newsworthy.

  • Cast:
    Steven Mackintosh

Similar titles

Boatlift
Boatlift
From the midst of 9/11, one of the darkest moments in American history, comes this inspiring and relatively unknown story. When the twin towers fell, hundreds of thousands of people ran to the water's edge. They soon realized that Manhattan is, indeed, an island. And that they were trapped. Within moments, an armada of every vessel that could get to the city's seawall spontaneously organized. Dashing into the teeth of danger, hundreds of boats pulled together and, without any formal planning, military or otherwise, they pulled off an ad-hoc sea evacuation that became the largest in history. Their story of courage and resolve reminds us of the powerful spirit that rose among us, on that fateful day. Narrated by Tom Hanks. Directed by Eddie Rosenstein.
Boatlift 2011
9/11
9/11
An on-the-scene documentary following the events of September 11, 2001 from an insider's view, through the lens of two French filmmakers who simply set out to make a movie about a rookie NYC fireman and ended up filming the tragic event that changed our lives forever.
9/11 2002
Rudy! A Documusical
Rudy! A Documusical
The definitive Rudy Giuliani documentary, charting his fall from the cover of Time Magazine to the parking lot of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
Rudy! A Documusical 2022
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Fahrenheit 9/11 2004
Stranger at the Gate
Stranger at the Gate
A U.S. Marine plots a terrorist attack on a small-town American mosque, but his plan takes an unexpected turn when he comes face to face with the people he sets out to kill.
Stranger at the Gate 2022
L’Orchestre Noir
L’Orchestre Noir
Investigations carried out over 20 years on the attacks in Italy in the late 1960s, particularly the Piazza Fontana bombing, leading to the accusation of the extreme left. Ultimately, a collaboration between the Italian secret services and the CIA had created a paramilitary organisation inspired by the Greek colonels of the ‘67 coup, designed to halt the “communist threat”.
L’Orchestre Noir 1
Afghan Stories
Afghan Stories
Horrified by the 9/11 attacks on America, filmmaker Taran Davies and Afghan American, Walied Osman, set out for Afghanistan to observe how the Afghan people have survived 24 years of war. They meet a member of the Afghan royal family once tortured by the Taliban, a refugee family stuck in a one-room apartment, a revered Muslim elder, an aid worker and a warlord. A unique and intimate film, Afghan Stories documents the torment, resolve and dreams of a people whose lives have been torn apart by war.
Afghan Stories 2003
Zero An Investigation Into 9-11
Zero An Investigation Into 9-11
ZERO: An Investigation into 9/11, has one central thesis - that the official version of the events surrounding the attacks on 9/11 can not be true. This brand new feature documentary explores the latest scientific evidence and reveals dramatic new witness testimony, which directly conflicts with the US Government's account.
Zero An Investigation Into 9-11 2008

Reviews

Cubussoli
2006/03/16

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

... more
Glimmerubro
2006/03/17

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

... more
Bluebell Alcock
2006/03/18

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

... more
Roman Sampson
2006/03/19

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

... more
Ted MacDonald
2006/03/20

I just finished watching this film on a streaming service. Strange I'd not seen it before. Apparently, since it is a British production, it must not have gotten much distribution in the outlets I frequent. Its minuscule list of nominations and awards reflects a much undeserved lack of attention in the U.S., to my mind. Of all the stories I've seen on the 9/11 attack, and there have been many, this film puts the most honest and telling human face on that horrendous tragedy. Before seeing this film, the thousands of people who died that day were a mass of faceless unknowns to me. Through thought provoking interviews with eyewitnesses, coworkers and family members of lost ones, ones who died in the most horrible of circumstances and were filmed jumping to their deaths, the film brings to life real everyday people consumed by this horrific event. As its title suggests, the story unfolds around an iconic picture taken of a man falling from high up on the Trade Center building and the investigation by the photographer who took the picture to try and determine the identity of the falling man. With the twists and turns of a mystery tale, the story of the investigation is told with great humanity and artistry and impact. This film should be counted as a classic in its coverage of what really happened in peoples lives on that day. A day that will live forever in the minds of not just Americans but people everywhere.

... more
Jackson Booth-Millard
2006/03/21

To be honest, I did not see the entire Twin Towers incident, so this documentary was pretty much a chance to see what I probably should have seen. This documentary focused on how New York was changed by this horrific day of occurrences, with the hijacked planes crashing into the North and South towers, people helpless in the building, the rescue attempts, and the mass destruction leading to hundreds dead. But one image that summed up another way this day was so horrible was the captured image of a man falling to his death, an example of many people jumping to their deaths. This image was very controversial for the newspaper that printed it, but they knew people needed to know how horrible this incident was, and what it could lead people to do when there is no chance. There is also the search for the identity of this single man, and his relatives or friends who would recognise him. A truly moving documentary that you cannot ignore, and really gives you an insight into how this single terrible day caught the attention of people all over the world. It was nominated the BAFTA Flaherty Documentary Award. Very good!

... more
kitsilanoca-1
2006/03/22

That horrific day I was staying at a B&B in my hometown while visiting my parents. I had just gotten up and dressed, walked into the kitchen where my hosts were with thoughts on my mind of local politics, when I saw the image of the burning towers on their TV set. It was hard to take in at first, it was so like something out of a disaster movie. When it finally did hit me I was immediately in tears and wanted to get on the phone to my brother-in-law in San Francisco. With the reporters talking about other airliners missing and that they were headed for other possible targets, I immediately thought of the Trans-America building in San Fransisco, a familiar part of that city's sky-line, which Dave's office building is right next door too. Thank God he was all right and San Francisco wasn't under any immediate danger. The rest of that day was like walking in a dream - a nightmare - and I suddenly realised how people like my parents (my mum was pregnant with me at the time) had felt when the Cuban Missile Crisis took place in 1962. I mentioned that to some other younger people who had never even heard of that event which nearly lead to a nuclear war. I wonder if their grandchildren will hear of this one? This documentary made me take a very hard look at the people who were there and had to make a choice that many of us hope we never have to - jumping to our deaths to save ourselves from a more horrible one. Everyone should take a look at this program because these people deserve to be remembered for their heroism as much as the firefighters, police and ambulance workers who lost their lives that day. It will truly make a person look deep inside themselves and ask what they would have done.

... more
bob the moo
2006/03/23

When two planes hit the World Trade Centre on 11/9/01 thousands lost their lives in a variety of ways. The media was full of images fed live on television and also in the newspapers; one set of images more than any other caused controversy and universal condemnation – those of people falling or jumping. Over the next few days these images were removed and replaced with more images of the heroic response, of the American spirit in evidence – fire fighters, policemen and such. This documentary looks at the fate of those trapped by the flames who were faced with a horrible decision and the identity of the famous and terrible image of the falling man as taken by Richard Drew.Even years later it is hard to view images of 11th September without welling up. It is true that the civilian victims of that day are no less worthy of our remembrance than the civilians killed by the coalition in Iraq, but personally I have never seen mass slaughter unfold before my eyes in the same way that it did on this day. We can debate about whether or not our world should continue to be shaped by it years later (Afghanistan, Iraq, erosion's of civil rights etc) but this was not what was going though my head as I watched this film. Instead what I was thinking about was the people, their fate, their choices and their lack of options.I remember the pictures the next day in the UK and recall reports of people jumping or falling to their deaths and I do recall their noticeable absence in the days after the event. So I was intrigued by this documentary because it is not something that the media-savvy US Government want us to think about, even though it is as real as the firemen who gave up their lives trying to save others. In my own opinion those who think that the "jumpers" were not heroic in their own way simply has not thought about the situation they were in or what they themselves would do in that situation. This film spends the first half getting to grips with the attack itself and then the second half dealing with the investigation into who the man in Drew's photo was. The first half is naturally emotionally impacting and as disturbing as I've always found the footage and of 11th September. It is moving to hear the relatives talk and was tastefully done. The second half steps away from the day well and it is interesting and a worthy investigation.The film maybe doesn't deliver it that well but it is still engaging and does pull out a deeper meaning to its existence rather than just seeking out tabloid headlines. The focus on real people makes it work and is a good look at a subject that nobody else in the media seemed to want to address. I suppose in this regard the film is well worth a look simply because everyone else dropped the subject and focused on the images that make for a better feeling (the heroes and the heroic deaths) rather than those that died in a way that was much more difficult to deal with.Overall this was a good documentary that deserves a look because of its subject and also because of the sensitive manner in which it deals with it. It isn't fun of course but it deserves to be seen for what it does well.

... more