11'0901: September 11
Given the strong feelings that were stirred up by the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, it's not surprising that strong feelings and strong opinions show up so often in "11'09"01: September 11."However, some of the opinions and thoughts expressed by the 11 artists participating in this filmmaking experiment probably should have remained unexpressed — at least in this forum. Some are in questionable taste and come off as at least a bit insulting to those who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center attacks.
But for audiences with an open mind — and more than just a little tolerance for different opinions — there are at least a few moments here worth watching.
In "11'09"01: September 11," nearly a dozen filmmakers from around the world present short film works about the tragedies. Some are fiction, some are non-fiction, and not all are sympathetic to the United States.
The strongest pieces really do stand out, such as Mira Nair's "India" segment, which looks at the family of one of the victims. And Samira Makhmalbaf's "God, Construction and Destruction," which takes a look at how the incident could be viewed by a group of Afghan refugees now living in Iran; this one is thought-provoking and even a bit chilling.
Idrissa Ouedraogo's dark comic tale of West African children trying to capture Osama bin Laden is a refreshing change of pace, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's use of actual sound bites from New York in his segment provides the film with its most vivid and powerful statement.
It's also a bit surprising to see Sean Penn — the lone U.S. "representative" heard from here — being so apolitical in his eloquent, metaphorical short.
"11'09"01: September 11" is not rated but would probably receive an R for violence (including footage from the World Trade Center collapse and destruction), occasional use of strong profanity, a brief sex scene and brief, partial female nudity. Running time: 125 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com