Rebirth

Every year on this day I can't help but reflect on where I was and what occurred. Watching Jim Whitaker's exceptional documentary Rebirth has been something I feel compelled to view. It is a stunning film that takes you to the depths of complete despair and rage and then lifts you up. 

Originally I had this to say of it back in 2016:

Rebirth is a beautiful, beautiful film. For those of you not in the know, this is a film which tells of five people and the affect that the events of September 11th had on their lives. There is Nicholas, a teenager who lost his mother in the towers; Brian, a construction worker who helped at Ground Zero, that lost his brother, a firefighter; Tim, a firefighter who fought that day and lost his best friend; Tanya, whose fiancé was a firefighter killed that day; and Ling, a woman that worked in the WTC and was badly burned when escaping the building. Filming began shortly after September 11th and was released in August of 2011. It is a completely mesmerising film.

The music, by legendary composer Philip Glass is moving, glorious, and equally heart breaking and heart warming, as only Glass can create. It's understated and dances beside each frame, careful not to step on toes. The film begins full of sadness, despair, guilt, and crushing, overwhelming loss of friends, loved ones, joy, hope, a future, function of body, and function of mind. It radiates anger, bitterness, resentment and envy and gradually glides to acceptance, growth, a return of joy and happiness and a desire to be better and do better. James Whitaker pieced together five lives, five stories, and made every moment they shared become a connection between the viewer to the individual on the screen.

The scene that stands out the most for, I'm certain every person who has watched Rebirth, is the eulogy that Nicholas gives to his mom. It is astonishing. He is about 15 years old and is shown to be clearly upset, but holding it together. He speaks of what a great lady she was, a friend, a daughter, a wife, and mother. The moment the word "mother" leaves his lips a small bird flies into frame and gently lands on his head. Nick reaches up and carefully in a "what the hell??" sort of way and grasps the bird in his fingers. He looks at it, puzzled, then places it in the outstretched hand of someone. Nick released his hold and the bird flies off. As his eyes follow the bird's flight the look of anxiety, from being at his mother's funeral and reading her eulogy, vanishes and you see Nick's face show a freshness and look of wonder at what had just happened. I don't know if that was a sign from his mother, the universe, or a supreme being, but it was so unbelievably touching that it's damn near impossible to not feel an overwhelming emotion that leads to tears. It was incredible. The entire film is absolutely breathtaking.

(photo kidnapped from imdb)