11 SEPTEMBER '01
France, 2002, 130 minutes, Colour.
Directed by: Samira Makhmalbaf, Claude Lelouch, Youssef Chahine, Dannis Tanovic, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Ken Loach, Alehandro Gonzales Inarritu, Amos Gitai, Mira Nair, Sean Penn, Shohei Imamura.
Most of us will recall when and how we heard the news of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers in New York on September 11th, 2001. The events of that day in New York and at the Pentagon have changed our lives forever. The initial grief has become part of our heritage. The war against terrorism seemed an appropriate response at the time but has now taken on a life of its own with the consequences in Afghanistan and the conflict with Iraq. Further terrorism in Bali and Mombassa means that we live in greater threat and uncertainty.
With this background, a French production company invited eleven international film directors to make a short film of their choice on the theme, the only specification being that each segment would last 11 minutes, 9 seconds and 1 frame. As might be expected, the mixture is quite diverse. Critics have been mightily divided - perhaps more by ideological opinions than by the quality and insights of the films. This is particularly true of the British segment by Ken Loach. It is in the form of a letter with illustrations from news footage. A Chilean refugee writes in sympathy to the grieving Americans but reminds them that on 11th September, 1973, the Americans backed a coup against president Allende that put General Pinochet in control of the country. Interpreting history and the consequences of actions is never simple. The International Critics awarded this segment a special prize while other critics condemned Loach as an unrepentant Marxist.
Not all the segments seem so polemical. They offer a range of stories to the world audience to compare responses. The film opens with an Iranian segment from the only woman director, Samira Makhmalbaf who has made some beautiful films about children. Here, a teacher of Afghan refugee children, sits in the desert trying to explain what has happened in New York and failing to get them to keep a minute's silence because the news has reminded them of their own losses. Another film concerned with children is that from Africa. A young boy needs medicine for his mother and plays truant from school. He hears about the $25 million offered for the capture of Osama Bin Laden and thinks he sees him in the city. His friends buy a camera and stalk the man but he goes to the airport and they have to sell their camera instead. By showing us the reaction of children these directors offer us stories that move away from the rhetoric of war.
The response of directors who have experienced war at first hand are also worth seeing. A group of women in Bosnia were planning a peace march to commemorate the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica and hear the news from New York and decide to demonstrate. Meanwhile in Israel, a telejournalist is covering the latest bomb blast, is interrupted by the reports of the attack in New York and she finds herself off the air. Perhaps the most challenging segment comes from Egypt where the director remembers an American soldier friend who was killed in Beirut in 1983. This compels the director to visit Palestine and talk with the family of a suicide bomber. Who is right? Who is just?
Other segments offer personalised stories, especially the American contribution by Sean Penn, who has a widower (Ernest Borgnine) still missing his wife suddenly finding the sun shining on his window ledge flower bed as the towers fall. The Mexican contribution is almost in darkness with constant voiceover of the sounds of the disaster and momentary glimpses of people falling from the buildings. It finally ends, however, in light - which has to be the hope and prayer of all of us.
1. The film coming out a year after the disaster? The international response? Sympathy for the victims? For New York? Attitude towards the United States? Towards terrorism?
2. The challenge to the directors, the time span, the personal response, New York and its people, terrorism, America, the history of the 20th century and terrorism and social injustice?
3. The personal style of each director, their writing, visual style and score?
4. The cumulative effect of the film? Attitudes towards the United States, towards Osama bin Laden, towards George Bush? The war against terrorism? The map of the world and the signals from the different countries?
5. (a) Iran: the Afghan refugees and their plight, the bombing of Afghanistan and their own fears, making the bricks, no shelter against atomic bombs, the well and the men dying? The teacher, her serious approach, gathering the children? Wanting the information about the global tragedy? The kids talking, talking about the men dying in the well, the woman buried in the ground in Afghanistan? The one minute's silence and their talking? The children and not understanding, their wanting to talk about their own experiences? The chimney? The story about being buried in the rubble and their beginning to understand something?
(b) France: Claude Lelouch and his style, romantic stories? A brief story, the deaf woman, her being in New York, her love for the guide, falling out of love, on the couch, her photographing him, his departure, her writing on the computer, the break? Her typing and not seeing the news reportage of the Twin Towers? His return, covered in dust, love transcending difficulties?
(c) Egypt: the personal story of the director, the press conference and the questions, demanding in his attitude towards America, terrorism? His imagining the US soldier from Lebanon, coming out of the sea, their discussions, the issues of America, keeping the peace, his falling in love in Lebanon, death? The transition to the Palestinians, the family, the suicide bombers? The ghost? The discussion about Israel and Palestine, the lack of weapons on the part of the Palestinians, the invasions of the Israelis? Democratic peoples like Americans and Israelis, choosing their leadership, they share the blame or not? The issue raised by the director? In the context of terrorism?
(d) Mexico: the dark screen, the importance of the soundtrack, the glimpses of the building, the people falling, the commentary on the events? The transition from darkness to light? The question about God and God's light being a guide or making people blind?
(e) Burkina Faso and the children's story, the boy and his sick grandmother, wanting the money for pencils and pens, the aftermath of September 11, the poverty in Burkina Faso, the crowdedness, social conditions? The boy selling the newspapers, the headlines about bin Laden? Not going to school, his friends? Seeing bin Laden in the street, telling his friends, their getting the video camera, pursuing him, photographing him on the bench? His not coming back, going to the hotel, racing to the airport? Their not being allowed to enter? Seeing the plane go off, not getting their money? The communication of the feel in Africa via a simple story?
(f) Bosnia: the 11th of each month as a day of protest and demonstrations, the aftermath of the war in Bosnia, the young woman not sleeping, the crippled man visiting her? Going to the demonstration, walking along the road, the news of the New York tragedy, the people listening to the radio, the great sympathy (even after their own sufferings)? The significance of the procession of women and their banners, the memory of the atrocities at Srebrenica?
(g) The United Kingdom: Pablo's letter, the voice-over, Ken Loach and Paul Laverty and their social concern, attitudes towards the United States, to American foreign policy, to Henry Kissinger? Nixon and the decisions against Allende in Chile? The themes of Chile, 11 September? The downfall of Allende, the blame? The planes and the bombings, the consequences in Chile, money interests, Kissinger, Allende dying, Pinochet taking over, the recounting of the torture, 11 September and the number of people murdered in Chile? The letter offering sympathy but a concern about those who suffered beyond the United States?
(h) Mira Nair: the melodramatic telling of a true story, the mother and concern about her son, American citizens from Pakistan, search for him, the neighbours and their sympathy, the federal agents coming, blackening his name, the interrogations? Her thinking she saw him in the train? The neighbours and their disdain? The discovery of his body, his being declared a hero and generous, the funeral and the mother's speech, Pakistanis and the Arab tradition, the instant anti-Arab and anti-Islamic prejudices and fears in the United States?
(i) Israel: the suicide bomb, the newsreel-style photography, actuality and footage? The police, the victims, the crowds, desperation, police strategies, the phone calls, the intrusion of the journalist, her report, her ego, her assistants, her interfering, not backing down, the police trying to get her out of the way? Her being told she was off air, the news of New York taking over?
(j) One day in memory of grief of an old man, Ernest Borgnine portraying the old man? Waking up, talking to himself, talking to his dead wife? His age experience, alone? Laying out her clothes, the sense of intimacy in his past life? The collage of his activities, her absence and his grief, the flowers, symbols of grief, new light and hope?
(k) A World War Two story, the man who thought war was so horrible that he became a snake, his slithering along the ground, his war experience, his family and their trying to help, the mother and his biting the hand that fed him, the town meeting and their discussions, the devouring of the animals - and his becoming the snake? The story of Hiroshima and the bombings? The water, the man meeting the girl - and the caption that there was no such thing as a holy war?
