Great American Media is commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with BOATLIFT 9/11, an award-winning short about some everyday heroes.
“Inspired by Saved at the Seawall by Jessica Dulong, BOATLIFT 9/11 recounts the extraordinary civilian-led evacuation that unfolded on New York’s waterways on Sept. 11, 2001,” a synopsis of the movie reads. “In what became the largest sea evacuation in history, an impromptu fleet of ferries, tugboats, fishing vessels, and private boats safely transported an estimated half a million people from Lower Manhattan — a powerful testament to courage, unity and decisive action in a moment of national crisis.”
It follows a mother-daughter duo, Captain Jan and Britt “who are aboard their tugboat in New York Harbor when the first planes strike the World Trade Center.”
“Their tug was never meant to carry crowds, but the pair begins pulling people aboard as smoke and ash consumed the waterfront,” the synopsis continues. “When Britt is swept into the river while trying to save another passenger, Jan faces an agonizing choice between searching for her daughter and getting those already aboard to safety.”
It stars Sofia Helin as Jan, with Preslea Elliott as Britt and Hank Northrop as Eric.
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Speaking about the decision to air BOATLIFT 9/11, Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, said, “I was in my office in New York, looking right down Sixth Avenue at an unimaginable tragedy as the second plane flew into the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.”
“Twenty-five years later, what remains equally vivid is what Americans did next,” he continued. “People ran toward the Towers to help people they did not know. BOATLIFT 9/11 tells one of the remarkable stories from that day, when hundreds of thousands of people found a way out of New York’s lower west side because others chose to come for them, by boat. It is a story we are honored to be a part of producing and presenting on our platforms.”
Producer Suzanne DeLaurentiis added, “Twenty-five years is an important threshold. There is now a generation of Americans who did not experience Sept. 11 firsthand, and the responsibility to preserve these stories becomes greater with time. I wanted BOATLIFT 9/11 to remember the people who saw strangers in desperate need and simply went to get them. Half a million people made it off Manhattan by water that day. That extraordinary act of humanity deserves its place in our national memory.”
Director Dale Fabrigar spoke to WWAY3 about what he hopes audiences take away from BOATLIFT 9/11, sharing, “On that day, it was an excellent, amazing example of humanity, so I think it’s a story that needs to be told and remembered.”
BOATLIFT 9/11 will be available to stream on Great American Pure Flix starting Sept. 10.
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