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Thu 16 Mar, 2006 12:14 pm
It appears America felt the image of people jumping from the Towers had no place in the heroic images that came to represent the event. Personally I think that faced with the choice of burning to death or jumping, I think I'd jump. Of all the ways to die, surely burning must be the worst.
Tonight Thu 16th March on Channel 4 at 9pm. Documentary of the week.
The attack on the World Trade Center had many tragic stories, but one vanished almost as soon as it emerged: that of the people forced to jump from the burning buildings. One photograph stood for them all: a man caught in midair as he plummeted to his death.
This documentary interviews the photographer who took the photo, the editors who published and then banned it, and the victims family.
That photo has been banned?
I come across that photo now and then -- and I'm not talking about in old newspapers either.
That story vanished?
I'd better start frikken paying attention. I was completely unaware that people jumping from the World Trade Center was a story that we'd forgotten.
I watched something, but I can't remember what it was, and you could hear screams and bodies exploding in the background.
It was very disturbing.
It was probably the wonderful documentary made by a French film crew Gus, who happened to be doing a documentary on one of the fire crews that day, and got sucked into history.
There is a scene where those awful sounds occur (the bodies impacting) and people wonder for a moment what they are, then realise, and just get on with it.
I certainly had no sense that the suicides that day were not to be talked about...I even did a thread a while back about a performance artist whose work was to repeat those scenes.
To me, jumping that day was about deciding to choose a quick death over a terrible and agonising one....I applaud their courage.
I was especially moved by a few people who jumped holding hands.
Those photos were all over Australian papers.........so terrible, but to me about transcendence.
I agree with boomer though that, as an American, I've seen them plenty. Not sure what phoney is getting at with "vanished" et al.
That's good information, dlowan. Could you direct me to said documentary?
There are very few things you'll ever hear me say this about:
Some things do not have to be seen to be believed.
For me, people jumping from the WTC is one of those things.
I watched it and the falling man featured was not conclusively identified. Some families wanted to know the fate of their loved ones, but others didn't. The man was firstly assumed to be a chef and his Catholic family was devastated as they believed by committing suicide he had condemned himself to eternal damnation, although I can't see how this way of escaping certain death could count as suicide. When the reporter contacted the family to say the identification may be wrong, the wife of the man said "please clear my husbands name" as though he had done something terrible by jumping.
Anyway it was quite a moving documentary. I watched the 9/11 events live at the time and without question it was the most incredible and emotional event I have ever, or am ever likely, to see.
Totally agree, how can you go to hell for taking your life in your own hands after something like that.
Its like saying its better to be brutally murdered.
Its the last bit of control they had, how to end their own lives.
Or maybe the fumes and heat where getting to be so intolerable that they just had to jump.
I wish I had their bravery.Id like to think Id jump too, doubt Id have the guts tho.
I cried my eyes out.
It certainly puts things in perspective.
dlowan wrote:there you go gus!
Thanks, dlowan. I'll check that stuff out.
Oh, it only tells you about the doco....you'd have to buy it to see it.
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