Remember a minute ago when we announced that HBO is broadcasting a George Harrison documentary this fall? Maybe it’s jealousy, or maybe it’s the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center atrocity, but Paul McCartney has made a very timely announcement of his own documentary, detailing his personal experience with 9/11 and debuting September 10 on HBO’s rival network, Showtime. Paul McCartney has always been admirable in his humanitarian efforts, but let’s ask ourselves a few questions here to justify a documentary (entitled The Love We Make) about Sir McCartney’s trauma in the disaster that affected millions.
Q: Was McCartney in New York City on September 11, 2001?
A: That morning, yes.
Q: Did McCartney know anyone on any of the four planes hijacked that day?
A: No, but he was due to fly out of NYC and had to sit on the plane at the airport terminal while news spread about the World Trade Center attack.
Q: So aside from his celebrity status, what reason is there for Paul McCartney to make a documentary about himself in regards to the tragedy?
A: Following the mayhem, he organized the “Concert for New York City” on October 10 in Madison Square Garden, which brought together icons for rock fans: David Bowie, Eric Clapton, The Who, James Taylor, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones; plus idols for those rock fans’ children or 15-year-old siblings: Destiny’s Child, Goo Goo Dolls, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Is that a good enough reason? In short, the film, which largely consists of footage revolving around the show (on-stage and off — including the planning stages), sounds more like a concert film than a “9/11” documentary, particularly given that its director is Albert Maysles, who is also responsible for Gimme Shelter, one of the biggest rockumentaries ever. According to Maysles (via The New York Times), “There was so much suffering as a result of 9/11 it’s hard to imagine how one might bring relief to those who were impacted by the attacks, and honor those firefighters, police officers and rescue workers who lost their lives in their heroic attempt to help others. But Paul had the answer: music and a film that would tell the full story.”
Obviously, there’s going to be a lot going on that weekend, but this is just one idea of how to remember 9/11. You can always TiVo the film and then go out to New York for a special performance of William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops.
• Paul McCartney: http://www.paulmccartney.com
