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Arts & Entertainment

9/11 Through The Eyes of a Child

The Emmy Award-winning film, "Telling Nicholas," will receive two encore screenings Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Camelot Theatres, to honor the historical event and offer Coachella Valley residents a chance to meet the man who made the film.

Filmmaker James Ronald Whitney is no stranger to controversy. He is articulate and bracing in his storytelling and he is unafraid to speak the truth.

This approach has given his documentary films a certain bold, yet simple, honesty. In “Telling Nicholas,” he unflinchingly presents the horrors he witnessed from the rooftop of his Tribeca loft on the morning of September 11, 2001.

But the film also reveals the very personal heartbreak of loss as seen through the eyes of a child.

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As news programming across the country switched to live feeds of the  unfolding events, Whitney watched through the lens of his film camera, trained on the twin towers, as human lives ended.

“I was up there (on the rooftop deck) just enjoying my coffee,” Whitney recalls about that clear and calm September morning, “and the first plane flew directly overhead and right into the first tower. And I just stood there with my mouth agape, just staring at this enormous hole.”

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In the film, Whitney’s personal narrative sets the stage for witnessing this incomprehensible act. But it isn’t until he meets a 7-year-old Nicholas Lanza -- his father has to explain that his mommy will not be coming back to them -- that Whitney’s storytelling hits home.

And the audience is brought along with the decision and the consequences that will mark this boy for life; Much as we, as a nation, were marked by that day.

As news outlets and television networks gear up for this weekend’s coverage of the ten-year commemoration of the 9/11 attacks, Whitney expresses dismay over the media barrage.

“So very little has to do with any kind of true, deep, heartfelt thing.” He explains, “You’ll just get this moment, this sound bite, and maybe a little bit of somebody’s back-story and 30 seconds to a minute later, you are on to the next one. I just don’t think it’s the way to do anything.”

Whitney believes the event can best be processed by understanding its impact on the emotional lives of individuals, through film. He says, “It’s not about the buildings crashing. It’s not about the planes flying in… it’s about what happens inside a family when a tragedy like this occurs.”

For parents who want their children to understand what happened on that day, he recommends several movies.

“To me, there are only three 9/11 movies. One is “Telling Nicholas.” Another one is “In Memorium” and the third is “9/11” (the CBS film with James Hanlon and the Naudet brothers) And I think that’s plenty. The story is told.”

Whitney, now a Coachella Valley resident, will appear at both of this Sunday’s screenings to introduce the film and hold an audience Q & A after each screening.

Ticket prices are $15 for the afternoon screening and $25 for the Red Carpet evening program, which includes a reception with the filmmaker. 

Tickets can be purchased at the Camelot Theatres Box Office, by phone at 1-888-71-TICKETS and online at www.camelottickets.com

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