Kevin C. Wong

Documentary - 9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021) [+]

9/11: Inside the President's War Room is an Apple TV+ documentary, narrated by Jeff Daniels, of 9/11 as seen from President George W Bush's perspective, who was in Florida at an event and then on Air Force One for much of the day, and from his cabinet and Vice President Dick Cheney who were in Washington DC. Reporters and official camera people (e.g. there are White House photographers taking pictures all the time for posterity) were around so lots of footage and pictures. Also recent interviews with Bush, Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and others.

This was a really powerful documentary for me. 9/11 is sort of a blank day. Dave P woke me up with the news and that maybe I shouldn't go in to work. But I still went to work and there a few people there and not much was done. And I kind of avoided the news during the day and afterwards. I've seen a couple of other documentaries but this one seems more immediate, more like you're living through the day, and some of the footage made me teary-eyed.

For some reason I started watching this at 0100 and couldn't put it down until it was done. Great documentary.