Customer Reviews

September 11

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French producer Alain Brigand gathered a collection of eleven film directors from around the world and gave them an assignment: to make a film of eleven minutes and nine seconds duration that symbolized their perception of the events on September 11, 2001. The results in this DVD, while occasionally uneven, are a brilliant response - thought-provoking, shocking, touching, cautionary, and confused. More important, ten of these eleven vignettes (excluding that of Sean Penn) allow us to view 9/11 through a non-American lens, an opportunity we seldom have to see ourselves as others see us.

The best of these eleven shorts are magnificent and heart-rending. Samira Makhmalbaf (Iran) tells the story of a woman teacher at an Afghani refugee camp in Iran. First she wanders through the camp, retrieving the young children for school who are busy making mud for bricks to protect themselves from an American atomic bomb. She herds them into a makeshift classroom and asks them if they know about a terrible event that has occurred in the world. Two people fell into a nearby well, and one was killed, the children tell her. Following a marvelous parody of a philosophical discussion about God's plan, the children are coaxed into a moment of silence standing next to their own tower, the smokestack for their brick kiln.

Claude Lelouch (France) directs an intimate story of a deaf woman in New York who is busy writing a break-up letter to her boyfriend that terrible morning. She misses the entire event on television only to find her boyfriend standing at the door, covered in dust and crying. Idrissa Ouedragogo (Burkina Faso) tells the charming story of five boys who spot Osama bin Laden in their remote village and set out to capture him for the $25 million reward. Tragedy for some creates opportunity for others. Mira Nair (India) presents a Middle Eastern mother in a Queens neighborhood who is victimized by anger, discrimination, and sacrifice, ultimately having to deliver a devastating eulogy.

Two of the shorts take controversial but wildly different approaches. Ken Loach (UK) relates 9/11 to another 9/11 in 1973 when the U.S. backed the overthrow of the democratically-elected Allende in favor of Pinochet. The result was a horrific, U.S.-inspired reign of terror that took more than 30,000 Chilean lives. The narrator writes that Chileans will remember the WTC victims on the first anniversary of their tragic deaths; he hopes Americans might remember the 29th anniversary of so many Chilean deaths. By contrast, the Mexican director Alejandro Inarritu uses a mostly blank screen, broken by flashes of human bodies falling from the burning towers, to transmit a simple question: does God's light guide us or blind us?

Each of the eleven pieces in September 11 are unique in story line and cinematic approach. A few, such as Shohei Imamura's (Japan) and Youssef Chahine (Egypt) fall flat, but they are far outweighed by the others. Some pieces may touch you, and some may anger you, but all will make you stop and think. The events of 9/11 were not just an American event, they were a world event. While we have every right to our own national perspective, we gain from opening our mind and hearts to the rest of the world, sharing our anger as well as our grief.

An excellent sampling of different views and reactions to the events on September 11, 2001. Not all views are sympathetic towards the US, and some strong political commentary is expressed. People who are interested in different points of views and interpretations on that day's event will enjoy the styles and ideas reflected. People who take offense to any kind of anti-US opinion and feel that any artistic representation of the event is in bad taste should stay away.

This is an extraordinary compilation of 11 short films by directors from as far as Japan and as close as the U.S. All the films are aware of the still unbearable horror of the events of 9/11, but each interprets them differently. Some are direct, dramatic vignettes. Others, like Shohei Imamura's, are almost impenetrable allegories. Sean Penn's tale, featuring Ernest Borgnine, is as moving as it is mysterious. The British director, Ken Loach, provides a political parallel that will enrage some and amaze others. This is a film that will stay with you and offer perspectives you might not have thought of.

Robert Kolker, author, "A Cinema of Loneliness," "The Altering Eye," "Film, Form, and Culture."

This film deals with the THEME of what occurred in the US on September 11. It allows the viewers to understand the viewpoints of 11 men chosen from across the world who used, as a theme, September 11 as the basis of a short film. As I understand, each director was given significant leverage in creating a short film, the only guideline being a financial budget and that the film must be inspired by the events of September 11. The directors did not discuss their own projects with each other, thus this film is not about one thing - it is NOT directly about Americas September 11. This being said, this film is not a critique, a tribute to, or even about the actual events of September 11, and should be viewed with this is mind. Many Americans see this film and, assuming it is about Americans September 11, are very upset and disappointed. This is a very selfish view, for Americans are not alone in their suffering. It is more about how people of different cultures and backgrounds deal with the highly impactive events occurring in our world. I feel this movie is a tremendous contribution to our society because it allows people to understand how people in other societies comprehend and deal with trauma. Whether or not we agree with these directors should not be what we get out of this film; what we should walk away with is the knowledge that while our world is diverse, we are all similar because at some time in our lives we will deal with our own "September 11," be it in New York City or an anonymous town in Ghana. This film is a tremendous opportunity to learn about the world.

I don't think that this brave, artistic film is an anti-American diatribe by any means. Each segment lasts 11 minutes, 9 seconds and 1 frame. You could certainly watch the segments from Bosnia-Herzegovina's Danis Tanovic or Burkina Faso's Idrissa Ouedraogo to see a vision of the repercussions of 9-11 done in a manner that expresses bewilderment or sympathy toward the catastrophe's victims. Others, admittedly, take a jaundiced view of the USA's involvement in world affairs, such as British director Ken Loach's segment or Egypt's Youssef Chahine, who perilously examine the tragedy within the grand scope of other historic days that shook the world.

Certainly, pain is pain. No American who grieves a loss of loved one that day (as I did, and do) can feel entirely receptive when someone says to us, "well, you're hardly the first person or country to have suffered..." But I do welcome these intelligent, frequently moving views. Best and worst?: Mexico's brilliant Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's (of AMORES PERROS and 21 GRAMS fame) short film practically uses only sounds in place of visuals - yet it is intensely powerful; Israel's Amos Gitai's is just chaotic and loud, not very involving and rather off-putting. Indian filmmaker Mira Nair's story of a mother in New York trying to exonerate her son after he is accused of being a terrorist (based on true events) is also quietly shattering.

It's difficult to think of anyone viewing Nair's film, with her nationalized Indian family, and not feeling somewhat proud to be American.

I first saw this film in a university library in Japan and decided to order it so that I could use it in my own course on film and global communication. Each director's response to the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 is unique and provides viewers with images that are both moving and thought-provoking. This collaborative project brings together the works of diverse film artists who, through this project, have come together in dialogue, precisely the kind of dialogue that can help build bridges of understanding across cultures.

I saw this movie when it first came out in 2004 in France, I saw it again at a film festival in DC, and I am proud to own it now. The 11 short films presented reflect honest, raw emotions about September 11 from around the world. I appreciate the viewpoints presented, especially the ones that portray how others related to the tragedy through their own pain and suffering. I appreciate that these are truly reactions, and not simply sympathetic vignettes.

Eleven different Film Makers from different parts of the world are assembled in this film to present thier views and ideas about the WTC attack. This is one of the best effort you will see in any Film. Films like this are rarely made and appreciated. This film tries to touch every possible core of WTC. Here are some of the most important stories from the film that makes this film so unique.

There is the story from Samira Makhmalbaf (Iran) where somewhere in Iran people are preparing for the attacks from America. There a teacher is trying to educate her students by informing them about Innocent People being killed in WTC massacare. Then comes a story from Youssef Chahine (Egypt) where a Film Maker comes across face-to-face conversation with a Dead Soldier in the WTC attack and a Dead Hard Core Terrorist who was involved in WTC attack. Then we see a story from Idrissa Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso) where a group of Five Innocent childrens sees Osama Bin Laden and plans to kidnap him and win the reward money from America. Then we see the story from Alejandro Gozalez Inarritu (Mexico) where you see a Black Screen and slowly you see the real footage of WTC buildings coming down. And the people who are stuck in the building are jumping out of it to save thier lives. The other most important story is from Mira Nair (India) where a mother is struggling to get respect for her Dead Son whose name is falsely trapped in WTC massacare!

After September 11 attack, Our heart beat automatically starts pumping if we hear two names anywhere in the world.. First is World Trade Centre and the second is Osama! This film totally changes our perception and makes a strong point by claiming something more to it.

I will definately recommend this movie to everyone who loves to have such kinds of Home DVD Collection. Definately worth every penny you spend. But please don't expect anything more apart from Films in this DVD. There is ofcourse Filmographies of the Film Makers but No Extra Features.

Originally titled 11'9"01, this film was retitled September 11th for the US DVD release. The original title is more appropriate since it also expressed the length of each piece. All the filmmakers were commissioned to produce a film that was exactly 11 minutes, 9 seconds and 1 frame long. Apparently this title is out of print, so you'll have to purchase a used version, but that is a small sacrifice for such an amazing film.

The 11 short films are from such excellent directors as Ken Loach(The Wind That Shakes the Barley),Youssef Chahine (Alexandria...Why?), Amos Gitai(Free Zone), Alejandro González Iñárritu(Babel), Shohei Imamura(Vengeance Is Mine - Criterion Collection), Claude Lelouch(Rendezvous), Danis Tanovic(No Man's Land), Samira Makhmalbaf(Blackboards), Mira Nair(Monsoon Wedding), Idrissa Ouedraogo(Tilai), and Sean Penn(The Assassination of Richard Nixon).

Surprisingly, Penn's entry from the US is the least of all these works, and also the least connected to the tragedy of September 11th. All the rest explore the events of the day from a variety of perspectives, including a surprisingly sympathetic view from Iran and a righteous polemic from Egypt. Some of the stories focus on the personal, such as Lelouch's sad and fascinating vingette about a deaf woman and her hearing lover. Others, such as Loach's history lesson on South American politics and the repercussions of American foreign policy, attempt to relate on a more global level. Iñárritu avoids his usual multiple storylines to simply juxtapose horrific images from the day with total silence and blackness, as if to say that it is impossible to convey the enormity and tragedy of it all.

Many of these directors were "undiscovered" in the US when this film was made. Several of them have either won or been nominated for Academy Awards in years since, and all of them turn in first rate work here(except Penn, but I've never cared for his directing anyway, so perhaps it is of a piece with his other work).

When I watched this for the first time recently, in spring 2007, I was struck with a profound sadness and anger. This film was released in September 2002, one year after the attacks. In the 5 years since, every shred of sympathy, compassion and understanding that is expressed in this film was squandered on a ill conceived war in Iraq. Even the most confrontational of these films, Chahine's scathing depiction of an argument between a dead US Marine and an Egyptian filmmaker, expresses compassion for our tragedy. Chahine suggests that the US look at our treatment of the Middle East and take this as a lesson, something to be mourned but also learned from. Even though the filmmaker character is angry with the US for its unilateral viewpoint, he still breaks down with emotion when confronted with the enormity of September 11th. Even though he feels the US needed a wake-up call, he cannot deny that the human cost is too high.

It would be interesting to get these filmmakers together again and make a 27'03"03, on the theme of the Iraq War.

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