Spike Lee September 11th/COVID-19 Docuseries 'NYC Epicenters 9/11' Coming To HBO This Year
Spike Lee and HBO Documentary Films are teaming for NYC Epicenters 9/11?2021 1/2 (yes, that's the full title), a multi-part documentary that will cover the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks, and the docuseries is said to "offer an unprecedented, sweeping portrait of New Yorkers as they rebuild and rebound, from a devastating terrorist attack through the ongoing global pandemic."NYC Epicenters 9/11?2021 1/2 is a new Spike Lee joint that's headed to HBO this year in commemoration of the September 11th attacks. The docuseries "will offer an unprecedented, sweeping portrait of New Yorkers as they rebuild and rebound, from a devastating terrorist attack through the ongoing global pandemic. Capturing the history through a staggering amount of visual imagery, and featuring first-hand accounts from a panoply of citizens from all walks of life, the documentary event will debut later this year on HBO."
The prospect of Spike Lee making a docuseries about this topic sounds incredible. Lee is a New Yorker through and through, and having him turn his artist eye to this topic is bound to garner something special. Lee has touched on the 9/11 attacks in his work before, most notably in The 25th Hour, a film that's loaded with post-9/11 imagery. In a statement about the docuseries, Lee said:
"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. With over 200 interviews, we dig deep into what makes NYC the greatest city on this God's earth and also the diverse citizens who make it so. Over centuries pundits and straight haters have proclaimed NYC was dead and stinkin', only to be proved wrong. You will lose ya money betting against New York, New York. And dat's da truth, Ruth. Be Safe. Peace And Love."
Lisa Heller and Nancy Abraham, co-heads of HBO Documentary Films, added: "We're thrilled to have another groundbreaking HBO documentary event from Spike Lee. From documenting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to the 9/11 attack on New York City and beyond, we treasure Spike's singular capacity to chronicle and pay tribute to the human toll of these historic events while bearing profound witness to the strength and resiliency of the human spirit."
Lee has worked on several documentary titles for HBO, the most recent being the filmed version of David Byrne's American Utopia. NYC Epicenters 9/11?2021 1/2 is an HBO Documentary Films production in association with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. It is directed and produced by Spike Lee and is edited by Barry Alexander Brown and Adam Gough.