NEW YORK (PIX11) — The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is teaming up with AMC Theaters to make one of their landmark documentaries available ahead of this year’s anniversary of the worst terror attack on U.S. soil. It’s all part of the effort to teach the next generation about 9/11.
The 35-minute documentary tells the story of not only what happened that fateful day but in the aftermath as well.
The program is aptly titled “Anniversary in the Schools” because it is meant to educate students. Four first-person accounts show there can be resilience, unity and purpose that can come from tragedy.
One of the four narratives is from retired Port Authority Police Officer Lt. David Lim, who was in the North Tower when it collapsed. He dug his way out of the rubble but sadly, his dog, Sirius, did not. The K-9 was in his kennel in the South Tower, and his remains were ultimately discovered the following February. Lim retired in 2014.
The mantra “NEVER FORGET” has become associated with 9/11.
“They cannot forget if they never know,” said Lim. “I think it puts a face on 9/11 to help the children learn what happened that day.”
The documentary is available for free to schools and is part of a live webinar this Friday. The webinar will include live discussion.
This year, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has partnered with AMC theaters, encouraging communities across the country to show the program on the large screen. AMC Lincoln Square hosted a launch screening on Tuesday evening, mainly for educators. In addition, some of the film’s participants were on hand for a panel discussion.
Bridget Gormley’s father, William, was an FDNY member who died in 2017 from 9/11-related cancer. She has become an advocate and Directed her documentary titled “Dust: The Lingering Legacy of 9/11.”
“This is really something for the kids that weren’t around on 911 and didn’t experience it,” said Gormley. “It’s really to foster a historical talkback with the people who were affected by that day.”
Gormley told the audience that 70 million people had been born in the United States since Sept. 11, 2001. Those who did live through it feel a personal responsibility to tell an entire generation what happened in their own powerful words.
“Thousands died that day that don’t have this voice, so I feel responsible to tell correctly what happened that day,” said Lim.
Hundreds of thousands of schools have already signed up for the free documentary to be viewed inside classrooms this Friday.
