9/11 films and documentaries tell stories about the dark day

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Chair of 9/11 Families United Terry Strada joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss her take on the suspects potentially avoiding the death penalty and how she believes the Biden administration needs to take action. 

Since the shocking events that happened on 9/11, numerous documentaries and movies have been made based on occurrences of this dark day in history. Many of the documentaries include the loved ones of those who passed away, who tell stories of the day that changed their lives forever. Several documentaries also include survivor stories, who give alarming, eye-opening first-hand accounts of what happened on September 11, 2001. 

Additionally, there have been many movies made that tell a fictional story based on the true events that happened on 9/11 and the time that followed. 

Here is a list of documentaries and films that are focused around the events of 9/11. 

A firefighter walks through the rubble of the World Trade Center after it was struck by a commercial airliner in a terrorist attack. A hijacked American Airlines Boeing 767, originating from Boston's Logan Airport, struck 1 World Trade Center (north tower) at 8:45 a.m. At 9:03 a.m., a United Airlines 767, also hijacked in Boston, crashed into 2 World Trade Center (south tower). The second tower came down 39 minutes after the first. (Todd Maisel/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

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1. "The Lost Calls of 9/11"
2. "Man in Red Bandana"
3. "What Happened on September 11"
4. "Telling Nicholas"
5. "Rebirth"
6. "Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror"
7. "9/11 Phone Calls from the Towers"
8. "9/11: One Day in America"
9. "9/11: Fourth Flights"
10. "Reign Over Me"
11. "United 93"
12. "Zero Dark Thirty"
13. "12 Strong"

1. "The Lost Calls of 9/11"

"The Lost Calls of 9/11" is a Fox Nation special that shares never before heard calls from September 11, 2001 that came from individuals who were in a trading room right across from the World Trade Center. The people at this location saw the devastating events happen right before their eyes. 

The calls were found by a man from Houston who purchased used computer equipment. He came across a machine containing 103 calls from people in the trading room who saw everything. 

Bill Hemmer is the host of the special, which was released in September 2021. 

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is located in New York City. The Memorial & Museum has partnered with many companies to produce documentaries about the day. ( Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

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2. "Man in Red Bandana"

"Man in Red Bandana" is a documentary about Welles Crowther who is considered an American hero following his heroic actions on September 11, 2001. At age 18, Crowther earned full firefighter status but went on to work for an investment bank where he landed a job in the South Tower. Crowther was an NYC native who worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower. He wore a red bandana around his nose and mouth to prevent inhaling smoke and debris.

Eyewitnesses confirmed to his mother that Crowther was the man who ushered them to safety on 9/11. He is reported to have saved numerous lives that tragic day, before dying in the building.

The documentary was released in 2017 and is available for viewing on Amazon. 

3. "What Happened on September 11"

The HBO hourlong special, "What Happened on September 11" was released in September 2019. The documentary is geared toward children to give them a better understanding about the attack through personal stories, interviews with educators and photos. 

4. "Telling Nicholas"

In 2002, the documentary "Telling Nicholas" was released. This film tells the story of young Nicholas, who was just 7 years old when he lost his mother in the 9/11 attacks. The father of the young boy struggles to tell his son about his mother's death, and how to explain the brutal nature of her passing. 

5. "Rebirth"

"Rebirth" is a documentary released in 2011 that was filmed in the years following the attack. The documentary focuses on five different people and how their lives have changed since the tragedy. 

6. "Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror"

"Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror" is a Netflix documentary that came out in 2021. The series is one season long and gives an in depth look on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

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Unidentified family members of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon embrace at the September 11th Memorial Marker in Arlington National Cemetery Sept. 11, 2004 in Arlington, Virginia. (Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images)

7. "9/11 Phone Calls from the Towers"

"9/11 Phone Calls from the Towers" includes recordings of phone messages left by loved ones in the twin towers on 9/11. Many families that lost a loved one are in the film and discuss the conversation that they had with their family members and friends on the day up until the collapse of the towers. There are also phone calls that individuals made to emergency personnel in the film. 

8. "9/11: One Day in America"

"9/11: One Day in America" was made for the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. 

This is a one-season series on Hulu that includes stories from witnesses, heroes and survivors. 

9. "9/11: Fourth Flights"

"9/11: Fourth Flights" focuses on the stories of those in the four hijacked flights on September 11, 2001. One of the planes crashed into the north tower, another crashed into the south, a third went into the Pentagon and the fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. 

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Hijacked flights crashed into each of the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania after having an initial target of the U.S. Capitol building. (Bob Houlihan/U.S. Navy/Getty Images)

10. "Reign Over Me"

"Reign Over Me" is a 2007 movie that tells a fictional 9/11-based story. The movie follows character Charlie Fineman, played by Adam Sandler, whose wife and three daughters are killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center. 

11. "United 93"

United Flight 93 was one of the flights hijacked on 9/11. The flight had an intended target of the U.S. Capitol. The flight was delayed, causing it to leave after the other three hijacked planes. When passengers on the flight called family members and friends, they learned about what was happening on the ground below and heard about the planes crashing into the twin towers. 

This news led the crew and passengers to make a decision to fight back against the terrorists who had hijacked their plane. The plane ended up veering off its intended course and crashed in a field in Shanskville, Pennsylvania. "United 93" is a movie that tells this story. The flight crew in the movie is composed of actual pilots and flight attendants. 

12. "Zero Dark Thirty"

"Zero Dark Thirty" is a 2012 movie that tells the story of Maya, a character based on CIA agents who worked to track down Osama bin Laden. Maya is played by Jessica Chastain, with Jason Clark, Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler and Chris Pratt also starring in the film.

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Jessica Chastain is the star of the 9/11 based movie, "Zero Dark Thirty." (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

13. "12 Strong"

"12 Strong" is a movie about the first Special Forces team that is deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 and is focused on bringing down the Taliban. Chris Hemsworth plays one of the leading roles in the 2018 movie.