25 years have passed since September 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. The episode, among the most serious in history with almost 3000 victims, was told in numerous films and documentaries.
Eleven directors (Samira Makhmalbaf, Claude Lelouch, Yusuf Shahin, Danis Tanović, Idrissa Ouédraogo, Ken Loach, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Amos Gitai, Mira Nair, Sean Penn and Shōhei Imamura) each directed one of the 11 episodes of the film September 11, 2001 (2002). Each is set in a different country in the world, and tells stories that are sometimes more relevant to the 2001 attacks, and sometimes more distant stories, such as the coup in Chile or the Srebrenica massacre.
Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) took inspiration for its title from the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year, it investigates the American administration, searches for connections between the Bush families and the Bin Laden family, and delves into the plot that linked the United States to Saudi Arabia.
The film World Trade Center (2006) by Oliver Stone tells the true story of the two New York policemen John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Peña), who on September 11, 2001 were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center after entering the complex to help the survivors escape, and of the race against time to save them. The cast also includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Jon Bernthal.
The film United 93 (2006) by Paul Greengrass recalls the flight that crashed on September 11, 2001 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, with passengers, staff and some terrorists on board who were supposed to hijack the plane. The passengers sacrificed their lives to prevent the aircraft from landing on another target. The relatives of the victims, who had managed to communicate with them that day, collaborated on the film. In 2007 he received two Oscar nominations, in the Best Director and Best Editing categories.
The documentary 11-Sep-01 The Day That Changed History (2006) by Richard Dale reconstructs in detail the day of 11 September 2001, when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed by the terrorist attack.
Mike Binder's film Reign Over Me (2007) takes its title from the song Love, Reign O'er Me by The Who, which Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) listens to while wandering lonely through the streets of New York. The man lost his wife and daughters in the September 11 tragedy: they were on board one of the planes that crashed into the Twin Towers. He has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder ever since. A chance meeting with an old college friend (Don Cheadle) helps him face his demons. The cast includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland.
The film Remember Me (2010) by Allen Coulter tells the life of Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson), shocked by his brother's suicide. The tragedy had caused the separation of his parents (Pierce Brosnan and Emilie de Ravin) and had transformed him into a rebellious boy. On September 11, 2001, Tyler died in the attack on the World Trade Center. His disappearance forces the family to examine their conscience.
The film Very Loud, Incredibly Close (2011) by Stephen Daldry, based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, tells the story of a child who chases the mystery of a key that belonged to his father, who died in the attack of September 11, 2001. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright and Viola Davis. In 2012 it received two Oscar nominations, respectively in the Best Film and Best Supporting Actor categories for Max von Sydow.
The documentary The Heroes of September 11th (2011) tells the stories of the people trapped on the 88th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, who made courageous choices without receiving any medal.
The documentary The Miracle of the Twin Towers (2012) by Steve Humphries tells the story of survivor Pasquale Buzzelli.
The film 9/11 - Without escape (2017) by Martin Guigui tells the story of a group of five people who on September 11, 2001 find themselves trapped in an elevator of one of the World Trade Center towers. Forced by circumstances to collaborate, they will try to escape before the unthinkable happens, without ever losing hope. The cast includes Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg.
The film 12 Soldiers (2018) by Nicolai Fuglsig, based on the book Horse Soldiers by journalist Doug Stanton, tells the life of CIA agent and special forces soldier Mark Nutsch (Chris Hemsworth), sent to Afghanistan after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The documentary 9/11: The Two Hours That Changed the World (2021) by award-winning director Arthur Cary brings together the stories of 13 people. On the one hand, the two hours between the hijacking and the crash of the four planes. On the other, the post traumatic stress disorder that has never left them.
The series September 11th: Crossed Fates (2026) by Julian Jones tells the story of September 11th through the stories of survivors who had shared crucial moments with strangers that day, and who now wanted to find them again. Created in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum for the 25th anniversary, the work highlights the heroism and humanity that emerged during the worst terrorist attack in United States history.
