9/11 Redux

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Twenty years ago, we had recently moved into a basement office space in Upper Bangor, when an internal message came over our building LAN - early afternoon on September 11th. 2001 - that something major was happening in New York: there were gritty little Quicktime movies in the post showing raging fires at the World Trade Center, but more speculation than information as to what was actually happening. We moved upstairs to the TV and watched in spellbound horror at what unfolded over the next couple of hours. Not much in the way of work was done 'til close of play, when we peeled off to go home.

When I got back to Rachub, I found Jane & James (who had got home from school an hour or so before) still watching the live feed from America that had started earlier that afternoon our time. Jane had had the foresight to grab a VHS tape (remember those?) from the run and start recording over whatever was already on it. In all, she recorded four 180 VHS cassette's-worth of coverage from the day - some twelve hours - which we've still got on the original tapes.

Today, we resurrected my dad's old VHS tape machine and fired up the first of the tapes: a bit flaky at first, but the content is still there. It is literally stepping back in time, as the footage is completely un-curated, managed or edited. It is the raw news experience of that time, experienced via the technology of that time: lived vicariously by us here in the UK in actual time, and is somehow more real even at this distance of two decades than all the documentaries and films that have been made since the event - as good as they have been - could ever be. Extraordinary and most definitely poignant in its directness.

Comments

  1. Steve14 September 2021 at 10:43

    Margaret & I had the day off and had been out for a walk. When we got home I put the TV on and was confronted by the picture of one of the towers on fire. I thought, "what a strange time to be airing a disaster movie!", then the commentary started and the reality of what was unfolding hit us and we watched in utter disbelief for the remainder of the broadcasts. Unbeknownst to me my nephew and his family were in New York on holiday and had planned to visit the viewing gallery of the WTC on their last morning before flying home. They changed their plans when they saw how long the queues were and went up the day before. Their flight home was booked for September 11th. Needless to say they were unable to fly home for several days after.
    I have watched all the anniversary programmes and they have been spectacularly moving and in the case of the one following George Bush's day incredibly insightful. Have to say I changed my opinion of him, he certainly showed true statesmanship on that day and in the immediate aftermath - what followed of course was less note worthy and certainly hasn't helped anyone in the longer term.
    Lastly the one that was on which was just news reel and personal footage taken at the time was stark and at time brutal and for that all the more powerful.
    The day is something that will be permanently etched on my mind and one I hope we do not see the likes of again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sideways14 September 2021 at 17:22

      I wonder how many thousands of close-call narratives are out there from that day...

      Delete

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