Outgrown.

9/11 The Falling Man.

-The film presents one family's denial that their family member may have jumped, and also the acceptance of a husband that his wife may have jumped. Why do you think there is such a difference in these two points of view?

-I believe the difference in these point of views lies directly on the religion that these families practice. The family that denies that their dad jumped, are catholics, and in their religion it is betrayal to give up and not fight until the end. They didn't want to believe that their dad would jump to his death in order to escape the flames. On the other hand, a husband accepts the fact that his wife jumps. It even gives him a sense of relief that he knows exactly what happend on the day he lost her. It allowed him to have a piece of calm just to know she took matters into her own hands. 

-Is it important that we know the identity of the jumper?

-When discovering the identity of the jumper, for me, it took away a lot from the picture. It left the picture as one man, and no longer came across as the events of 9/11. It may have gave someone that knew him a sense of calm but as for America knowing the identity it looses a piece of connection. When the identity is unknown, every human being can image being in a situation with no outcome. We can think about what it would be like to jump, or to burn alive, it allows us to put ourselves in one anthers shoes. I think when a name and face is put with such an impacting symbol it causes us to retract from putting ourselves in that place. 

-Is showing the photo exploitation?

-I do not think this photo is exploitation. I think it gives people, who didn't experience this first hand an explanation of the devastation of that day. To think about the fact that people were jumping from 100 stories up, and knowing when they hit the ground there was no chance they would come out of it alive. It allowed them to have control of one more thing and not allow the terrorists to take the control from them. I think when we are not trying to think of this guy as a single man, it comes across as a sense of the pain and suffering ALL of America experienced that day. “I hope we’re not trying to figure out who he is, but rather who we are through watching that.” -Gwendolyn Briley. This quote means just that. Dont think of the picture of what that man did, think of it as the bigger picture. What happend that day, When did it happen, Why, How, and ultimately who- America. 

-How do you feel about the analogy being made that it is the tomb of the unknown soldier for that day?

-It is weird to think of a photo as a tomb when we in America are very materialized and like having tangible things to link onto. I do think that this photo as the tomb leaves out an important part of what really happend that day. If someone were to look at this picture and have no clue when it was taken or where, it doesn't explain the real event that happend that day or show the millions of people that perished inside of the building. I think that this picture could be the tomb for the ones who decided to jump. Whether you believe it was a noble or cowardly thing to do, one cannot deny the fact that these people lost their lives on that horrible day back on September 11, 2001. 

-“We can’t hope to understand these incredible times, unless we bear witness to these images.”  What does this mean to you?

-Humans are very visual people. They need to "See to believe". Without seeing one needs a lot of evidence to prove their ideas. These images help us to believe, just as the bible is what we rely on as proof of Jesus being here on the earth. We need these pictures to connect, understand, and feel empathy for the many that live in this devastation. 

Italiana.

Life in a Box.