documentary

In the documentary there are many important issues to be discussed. This documentary has many connections to other readings from class. The main focus of the documentary is Tony a probationary firefighter who joins in June of 2001. Tony is an innocent young man who joins the fire department to do good and have a sense of meaning to his life. In many aspects Tony is a symbol for America. Tony is innocent, does not expect the terrorist attacks or has any influence over what happens that day. He steps up and acts “heroically” to save innocent people much like the narrative of an innocent country who goes to war to save innocent people in the middle east. The video of the people crying in the streets and the fire fighter rushing to save people shifts the focus of the documentary to the immediate effects on civilians and gives no background information of what has been happening. It focuses on making the event ahistorical. Also, in focusing on the stories of the firefighter it has a similar focus as the progressive narrative in The Unfinished Bombing. The progressive narrative focuses on rebuilding which is seen at the end of the film when the fire fighters lower the flag and the crowd cheers we can see that the people want to feel a sense of hope to progress forward. The documentary ends with the introduction of new probational fire fighters to the station. This acts as a transition with the hope of rebuilding the New York fire department. Additionally, we can see connections between the documentary and The State of Exception as a Paradigm of Government. In this piece there is a discussion of what creates a state of exception in which there is increased government control and the people give up rights to the executive. In the documentary Tony talks of how he did not want to join the military because he wanted to save lives not end them but he qualifies that statement by saying that now that these attacks have happened he would do what ever his country needs from him. Overall, the creation of this documentary helps to add to the narrative of the attacks marking the beginning of an exceptional time in the nation’s history. The various interviews of fire fighters they stress how 9/11 was an event that changed their lives. It stresses the how the entire country was effected by this event and it changed the course of history. This documentary adds to the national narrative that America was entering an exceptional time and there was a need for the country to come together to move forward.