The 10th Anniversary of 9/11 is coming up, and many networks are putting their own spin on the event by giving audiences different stories and versions of what went down on that fateful day. Cinema Blend’s Kelly West has a good list to check out if you are interested in 9/11 programming. However, if you are looking for something a little different than the documentaries running rampant on networks and cable, Showtime might have something a little more geared toward you.
On September 10, Showtime will air The Love We Make: The Concert For New York City a 9/11 documentary featuring Paul McCartney. The framework of the film will be the benefit concert Paul McCartney put on for New Yorkers as a way to respond to the attacks, featuring appearances from David Bowie, Elton John, and others. However, the film will also highlight rehearsals for the concert, storytelling segments and interviews with popular personalities, and interactions with people on the streets of New York. Some of the names involved with the storytelling aspect of the program are President Bill Clinton, Howard Stern, Harrison Ford, Steve Buscemi, Dan Rather, and Leondardo DiCaprio. The documentary was shelved for nearly ten years before McCartney was “reawakened by the 10th anniversary” and got the footage together.
McCartney says he wanted to do a concert to help release some of the emotions harbored after 9/11. He has to say of the effect of the performance:
"I've lucked out to be in a profession where I can actually help heal, let people get in touch with their emotions. It's a magical thing. And I do mean that. People say, 'You believe in magic?' I really do. I have to.”
According to ABC News The Love We Make was filmed in October of 2001 by acclaimed director Albert Maysles and his partner Bradley Kaplan. Not only does it feature an impressive cast, but it was shot in the cinéma vérité style that Maysles pioneered back in the day when he shot What’s Happening: The Beatles in The U.S.A. So, the documentary should look pretty cool. I wouldn’t expect less from Showtime, which is really getting its act together as far as programming goes. Nor would I expect less from a documentary meant to tug at our emotional heartstrings as it memorializes a painful event.
Showtime will air The Love We Make: The Concert For New York City at 10 p.m. on September 10.
