TOW #1 - The Story Behind the Haunting 9/11 Photo of a Man Falling From the Twin Towers (Short Documentary)

In honor of September 11, TIME posted a four-minute documentary about the photo of "The Falling Man" which was taken during the 9/11 attacks. The image shows a man turned upside down with his arms by his sides, falling from one of the Twin Towers. The narrator of the documentary is the photographer himself, Richard Drew. I found myself sitting in silence as I watched the video. It seemed I couldn't blink or move or breathe - Yes, this may have been due to the fact that the topic was so emotional, but I'm used to hearing stories like this. The actual presentation of the information was what made the piece so breath-taking.

The first thing the viewer hears is some light piano playing behind a black screen, quickly setting an intense, heavy tone. Drew begins with an anecdote, describing his own memory of 9/11. He takes frequent, thoughtful pauses throughout the video, during which the producer strategically includes real-life sounds effects. For example, the sound of fire trucks, walkie-talkies and smoke are included, most likely to spark as much empathy out of the audience as possible. The piece was created for anyone who was alive during 9/11 or wants to learn about it - however, a disclaimer in the beginning warns viewers of "graphic images that may be disturbing."

And graphic images are indeed included. A remarkable scene in the video shows a whole photo library of different 9/11 victims plummetting from the Twin Towers. But the most mind-blowing of all the images was what was to become known as "The Falling Man." TIME posted the documentary, not just as an annual remembrance, but to further explore the meaning of the picture. However, the video does not show much evidence of this. The film seems to focus less on the photo's symbolism and more so on pure emotional appeal. In terms of the presentation, I would rate the documentary very highly, but as for the meaning and reaching a goal, I wouldn't consider it successful. Regardless, Drew's delivery combined with the producer's video-editing make for a jaw-dropping film.