Films don't change the world, but they can make people talk. And they can make you look at the world with fresh eyes. This movie provides a credible, authentic portrait of that day, and it allows us to draw some wisdom from it. Wherever you sit politically, we are all in that same stage of being wounded and trying to figure what to do next. Those people on United 93 had the courage to confront what we're all dealing with. The question is, do we? |
I think it's a very rich time for films that are socially and politically aware. Hollywood has got an admirable history of making films about how the world is: think of Vietnam and McCarthyism. I don't think this is any different. |
I wanted to make it feel real, like you were there, so you would understand the pressures people faced inside the air-traffic control rooms, inside the military command center, inside that airplane. |
If in this film, it can provoke a little more discussion about where we've come from on 9/11 and where we're going to. Then I'll be proud. |
In the end, it's acting, it's not real. But every director will tell you that you have to create conditions that create tension, because tension is what makes drama feel real. |
Is it word-for-word the same? No, of course it's not. |
It is not acting. The memory is so burned into his mind. |
It's humbling to bring this film to New York. It's humbling and necessary and appropriate. |
Real stewardesses know how they would react. |
Remembering is painful, it's difficult, but it can be inspiring and it can give wisdom. |
Some people will not want to see the film. People find the subject too hard. I respect that. Remembering is painful. But it can be inspiring and it can bring wisdom. |
Sometimes, those sort of details are not what shows up on screen. It's about what it does to the inner confidence of the actor. |
That final image haunts me -- a physical struggle for the controls of a gasoline-fueled 21st-Century flying machine between a band of suicidal religious fanatics and a group of innocents drawn from amongst us all. It's really, in a way, the struggle for our world today. |
The events of 9/11 had a massive effect on me, like everyone, and I wanted to use my position as a filmmaker to contribute something so they are not casually forgotten. By honoring the families who lost those they loved, I hope we can ensure that their sacrifice is remembered and hopefully seek wisdom in the future. |
The first reason was to ensure accuracy. |