Spike Lee’s look at how his hometown has recovered in the 20 years since the Sept. 11 terror attacks premieres this weekend.
The Brooklyn director’s four-part documentary, “NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½,” which chronicles city life starting with the fall of the Twin Towers and wrapping with the COVID-19 pandemic, is showing on HBO and HBO Max beginning Sunday.
The Emmy and Academy Award-winning auteur, best known for “Do The Right Thing,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Malcolm X” and 2018′s “BlackKklansman,” interviewed more than 200 people for the project.
Big names like Rosie Perez and 9/11 health champion Jon Stewart are joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
First responders, the real backbone behind the 9/11 rescue and recovery as well as the COVID-19 pandemic are featured, along with engineers, architects, news anchors and reporters.
Lee’s family, friends and images of the city also are part of the narrative.
Lee is excited to showcase New York and its resiliency.
“As a New Yawker who bleeds orange and blue (the colors of New York City), I’m proud to have a ‘Spike Lee Joint’ about how our/my city dealt with being the epicenters of 9/11 and COVID-19. … We dig deep into what makes NYC the greatest city on this God’s earth and also the diverse citizens who make it so,” Lee said when the project was revealed in May.
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