> How many of you guys got the chance to see this? It aired last night and showed the first footage from INSIDE the South Tower. It was absolutely amazing, and those firemen were so brave. They must have been terrified. Anyway, some people say that it shouldn't have been shown because it dredges up memories and grief, and might make afraid again.

It's probably the most amazing piece of documentary work I've ever seen. It was a gift for the film-makers - they just happened to be in the right places at the right times (or, perhaps more accurately, the wrong places at the wrong times). I'm not a huge fan of Vanity Fair magazine, but did read the article that discussed this film, and have been looking forward to it for months. I was not disappointed.

The footage gave depth and emotion to what until now has been a terrible, hazy series of newsreels that were narrated by mostly shocked and stunned news anchors, unable to comprehend what was happening. It provided a context - that of the view of the firefighters - for what was almost impossible to fathom. It showed the relationship between two brothers as a metaphor for families separated (and, happily in this case, reunited) by the events. It showed the reactions of people who were really there: New Yorkers, tourists, "regular folks" on the street, and made the horror seem real.

It's not for the faint-hearted. I was in tears for the majority of the broadcast, and every time there was the horrible sound of another body hitting the ground outside the building, I jumped.

I was left with a feeling of admiration, again, for the courage of the New York emergency personnel, and compassion and sympathy for those whose lives were affected. It made me feel, again, the emotions I felt during the days after the collapse of the Trade Centre towers - like I wanted to hug every American I could find. It reaffirmed for me, as a (basically pacifist) Canadian, that we are doing the right thing supporting the American efforts in the Middle East.

It was amazing.

teach