“The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11 – From Tragedy to Triumph” is a new documentary scheduled to be released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Producer Chris Meek and Director Michael Gier join us to discuss the project.
Chris experienced the attacks firsthand and was responsible for getting 29 people to safety. He would go on to found Soldier Strong, a non-profit helping Veterans by donating revolutionary medical devices.
Michael is an award-winning director and founder of Gier Productions. He had produced two other documentaries about the 9/11 attacks but says he wanted this one to be different and focus on the positive things that came from that day. This documentary goes beyond the tragedy of September 11 to showcase the incredible acts of bravery, humanity and resilience that followed. The film is narrated by Gary Sinise.
Chris hosts the “Next Steps Forward” podcast, which features stories of personal resilience. He says his experience interviewing those guests helped form his direction for “The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11”.
Michael shares some of the segments that will be featured in the documentary. They include the largest maritime rescue in American history, the heroism of the passengers on Flight 93 and the efforts to avert financial collapse. As financial services professional, Chris shares that another positive that came from the attacks has been new financial redundancy and backup systems.
Chris shares that working on this project brought up some personal PTSD issues but has also been therapeutic. He insisted that HIS story be left out of the film, but Michael overruled him. Michael adds that many of the people interviewed also said that the opportunity to share their stories provided a healing moment.
An ancillary project created by Chris is the 9.11Legacy Foundation to ensure the memory and lessons of 9/11 live on.
We all agree that projects like this are essential to ensure that upcoming generations remember what happened on that day and how our nation came together on September 12th.