It also intends to create a Project Rebirth Center to help educate responders and the public about dealing with such events.
[3] Wanting to convey those shifting emotions, he decided first to set up time-lapse cameras at the site to track its evolution, but gradually realized that telling the stories of the people involved was also important.
[4] It was while showing the early edited footage to others that Whitaker's vision began to expand, and he realized that the film could have educational value in helping people learn from grief.
"[6] Although nine people were followed,[1] the finished film focuses on the lives of five individuals: a teenager, Nick, whose mother died; a firefighter, Tim, who lost colleagues; a woman, Tanya, who lost her fiancé; a woman, Ling, who has undergone over 40 surgeries to help deal with the devastation of the attack; and a construction worker, Brian, who is helping to rebuild.
[7] Early reception of the documentary was positive, with Sundance audiences responding with a standing ovation and film critic Kirk Honeycutt stating that "Every choice Whitaker has made, from his decision not to show any of the footage from that terrible day to whatever methods he used to get his heroes to express themselves so candidly, pays off beautifully.