By Neena Strichart
As we all know, this year marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a national tragedy only equaled in the feelings of national grief and shock by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Like the day of his death, most of us remember where we were when we learned of the destruction of the World Trade Towers, the damage of the Pentagon and the plane crash in rural Pennsylvania.
The horrific event is something that I try to not dwell on, but I know that I must never forget it. As American poet and philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952) is credited with saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” To help us remember, the City of Signal Hill is sponsoring a movie about 9/11 tonight. Below are the details:
The Signal Hill Public Library and the Signal Hill Community Foundation invite you to join them tonight, September 9, for a free, special screening of 9/11: The Filmmakers Commemorative Edition. The movie originally aired on CBS in 2002 and was created by French filmmakers and brothers Gedeon and Jules Naudet. While shooting a documentary about rookie New York firefighter Tony Benetatos, Jules Naudet recorded the only shots of the first crash on film. The movie will be shown at the Signal Hill Public Library at 1770 E. Hill St. Refreshments will be available for sale. The doors open at 6pm, and the movie begins at 6:15pm.
Jules had accompanied the crew on a routine call to check out a leaky gas main to get some camera practice, which put him and the others right near the World Trade Center as the first plane hit. Jules recorded everything on camera as it occurred, joining Chief Pfeifer and the other firemen as they rushed to the tower. Jules continued rolling over the next several hours, even entering the North Tower.
That morning rookie firefighter Benetatos and Gedeon had remained at the station until retired Chief Burns came aboard and led Benetatos to the disaster. Gedeon lost track of them and ended up shooting the ordeal from the streets of New York.
Most of the 9/11 film came from the video cameras of the Naudet brothers. The movie includes footage of rescue efforts and the aftermath. It contains an additional 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage and 50 minutes of exclusive interviews, including more recent interviews with the firefighters.
For additional information about this event, contact the library staff at (562) 989-7323.
