Aftermath

Seven years after 9/11, have New Yorkers rebuilt the American Dream in this wounded city? A powerful doc which gets under the skin of today's New York.

Aftermath The collapse of the Twin Towers and the Herculean task faced by New Yorkers that terrible day has come to define contemporary New York. Seven years on, have they rebuilt the American Dream in this wounded city? A powerful doc which gets under the skin of today's New York. There's the security legacy, the property legacy, and of course the New Yorker who lost family and who just can't accept it all.
Going into the dump on Long Island where the remains of the
destroyed twin towers have been delivered security is high. Journalists are not allowed in. Is there something to hide? The place smells of rotting and the only way to film it is with a secret camera. It's the edge of New York but it's in this rubble that the everyday thoughts of most New Yorkers return most often.

The alarm is ringing. Within ninety seconds, a team of firemen is ready for action. 'Putting on the gear is second-nature; you should be able to do that with your eyes closed'. Hand on the horn, the driver speeds through busy streets: 'lots of the times, you don't know if it's just a call for smoke in the subway or a terrorist attack'. Since 9/11 hundreds of millions has been invested in the city's fire and
security service.

The focus on safety has helped New York win back its legendary dynamism. Huge input has been put into regeneration around ground zero. Tax rebates motivate buyers to move to offices converted into upmarket accommodation. 'Exemption from tax means a saving of at least $500 per month. A thank you from the City of New York'. Today the area is buzzing with cafes and restaurants, tourism is booming. New York is once again the city that never sleeps.

But no New Yorker can get away from the legacy of the attack. The city is always on red alert. Police are everywhere, from street corners to roof tops. Helicopters armed with high-tech cameras sift through thousands of faces. 'See this guy? We're 9 miles away and we could give a pretty good description'. On the streets check points screen cars for nuclear radiation. 'We have units that can respond to any chemical or radiological release.'

For all the security nothing can stop the suffering that flowed out of the terrible destruction. 'Today we see a lot of respiratory symptoms, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, some people have asthma, some get sinus or even stomach upsets'. Mark was a security guard near Ground Zero and has been ill ever since. 'Everywhere I go I cough. I'm scared'. Thousands were exposed to the toxic dust.

Others just can't get over the loss of loved ones. In the vast landfill site lie the most poignant reminders of the disaster. 'Oh! This is a fireman's jacket.' Diane lost her son in the attack. She refuses to believe that the city retrieved all personal items from Ground Zero and has been searching for her son's remains ever since. 'They have been left in a garbage dump, I want them removed and buried with dignity and respect'.

Director : Vanina Kanban
FULL SYNOPSIS

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