Living 9/11

There is no way a camera could capture the emotions that this documentary contains. One year after September 11th, Marianne McCune takes you deep inside the heartbreaking experiences of individuals and families navigating the aftermath of living through that day. We hear audio that WNYC reporters and Radio Rookies collected on the day of the attack, a chaotic and emotional soundscape filled with New Yorkers trying to piece together what just happened. The documentary explores conflict, racism, and support all over the city and surrounding areas. McCune goes further to investigate the psychological consequences of survival and trauma, offering insights into new understandings of PTSD. What we hear in this documentary is well beyond the words that are said. We hear the pregnant pauses and wavering breath of individuals, families, and lovers trying to put words on the unspeakable. We hear intimacy in its purest form, something that otherwise is kept behind closed doors. Living 9/11 creates a primary source of the impact of that day on New York City and the complicated experience of a diverse population. McCune’s measured and empathetic writing poses the aftermath as an open ended question, one New Yorkers are actively negotiating and will be for a generation. WNYC lives up to its reputation in this piece, creating a story that truly reflects the listenership it aims to serve.