When the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001, students had just started their day at Stuyvesant, the prestigious New York City specialized public high school just blocks away from the World Trade Center. In the Shadow of The Towers: Stuyvesant High on 9/11 offers a unique eyewitness perspective on that tragic day and its aftermath from former Stuyvesant students.
It revisits the events of 9/11 with conversations from eight Stuyvesant alumni who, as teenagers, lived through the attack and whose lives were forever changed from it. The subjects of the film detail the chaos of that day witnessing the plan crash, fleeing from the encroaching dust cloud from the towers’ collapse, and their harrowing journeys home to Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. In addition, the film explores how it felt to be a young person at ground zero and how September 11th shaped the students’ lives and their dreams for America.
Also, the piece is representing students from various immigrant communities and backgrounds. The participants speak about the backlash against minorities that followed the attack and the deep friendships with classmates that got them through.
In the Shadow of The Towers: Stuyvesant High is directed and produced by seven-time Emmy®-winner Amy Schatz. It debuts Wednesday, September 11 (9:00-9:35 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Also directed and produced by Amy Schatz, What Happened on September 11, a short film for children, will premiere Wednesday, September 11 (6:00-6:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO Family. The thirty-minute family documentary is an introduction to the events of 9-11 for a young audience.
In the Shadow of The Towers: Stuyvesant High on 9/11 is dedicated to Stuyvesant alumnus Catherine Choy who died shortly after filming for the documentary.
We will never forget that day that changed our lives and our country forever.
I AM KP Smith
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