NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½, a four-part documentary essay produced and directed by acclaimed director Spike Lee (HBO’s “4 Little Girls”, “When the Levees Broke”), is a rich tapestry of New York City in the 21st century, weaving together the stories, memories and insights of those who were eyewitnesses to New York’s greatest challenges. NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ debuts SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), with the following two episodes airing subsequent Sundays leading up to the finale on September 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The series will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max.
Lee conducted over 200 interviews for the documentary series which features first-hand accounts from residents of all walks of life, including first responders, politicians and journalists alongside Lee and his own family and friends, complemented by a treasure trove of visual imagery. The quintessential New York filmmaker uses his unique sensibilities to craft a multi-faceted mosaic of the city as it deals with some of the most life-changing events of the last twenty years. Beginning with the ongoing global pandemic and the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement, Lee traverses through time to the devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11. This provocative series is an epic chronicle of life, loss and survival in what Lee calls “the greatest city on this God’s earth.” NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ captures the flavor and heart of New York City, exploring its resilience and grit and affirming its innate ability to rebound, rebuild and endure.
In NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½, Spike Lee pays tribute to the city that shaped him and inspired some of his greatest work. As the consummate cinephile, Lee infuses the series with scenes from classic films to amplify his themes, weaving in clips from his own eerily prescient “Do the Right Thing” and “Inside Man,” and intercuts scenes from such films as “On the Waterfront,” “Casablanca,” “On the Town,” alongside cultural figures like Leonard Bernstein into his narrative.
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As a longtime citizen of Brooklyn, a borough hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis, Lee opens his four-part series with an in-depth chronicle of the pandemic as it ravaged his hometown, speaking with doctors, medical professionals, first responders and family members of victims and hearing emotional, wrenching testimonies. Not simply dwelling on the devastating toll of the disease and the trauma left in its wake, Lee reveals stories of solidarity as New Yorkers come together to support the doctors and nurses in the trenches.
NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ also recounts the demonstrations that took place in New York City in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the civil unrest and police brutality that followed, hearing from activists, photojournalists and reporters who witnessed first-hand the violent clashes with the police. Warriors in the Garden, a collective of activists dedicated to nonviolent protest, speak to their efforts to counter systemic oppression and to eliminate race-based discrimination in the midst of a crucible of pent-up anger and frustrations. Looking back at a politically freighted year, the series travels to Washington D.C. to hear first-hand from the New York representatives and others who were in or near the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection. Lee then turns his unique lens from one attack on American democracy to the life-altering events of September 11th, 2001, weaving together a fiercely vivid picture of that day as it unfolded for the New Yorkers on the ground and the first responders who raced to the scene. Detailing the day and the aftermath from many different perspectives, we hear from survivors, family members, firefighters, political leaders and frontline workers who helped with the clean-up, and fire boat and ferry boat captains who participated in the under-reported maritime evacuation, wherein almost half a million people were rescued from the southern tip of Manhattan and shipped to safety.
Lending their opinions and insights to NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ is a chorus of voices that mirrors the diversity of the city itself. Interviewees include Jon Stewart, Rosie Perez, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro; politicians Chuck Schumer, Bill De Blasio, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ron Kim, Mondaire Jones, Stacey Plaskett, Ritchie Torres, Muriel Bowser; medical professionals Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Ian Lipkin, Dr. Fritz Francois; NYFD members; machine operators from Ground Zero; engineers and architects; news anchors and reporters.
With Spike Lee’s singular vision and stylistic eye, NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ is a documentary event that challenges and provokes as it probes and reflects on historic events. Emotionally weighted and provocative, the series bears profound witness to the lasting and complicated impact of these historical moments and ultimately stands as a towering homage to New York City and its residents.
HBO Documentary Films’ presents a 40 Acres and a Mule production, NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½, director and producer, Spike Lee; director of photography, Felipe Vara De Rey and Kerwin Devonish; editor, Adam Gough; original music composer, Terence Blanchard; co-producer, Jason Sokoloff; archival producer, Judy Aley. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller; senior producer, Sara Rodriguez.
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