September 12: Life After Tragedy

Written and directed by Anthony Gardner, who lost his brother in the September 11, 2001 attacks, September 12: Life After Tragedy examines the importance of shared grieving. Looking at an exchange program between families of the 9/11 victims and those still mourning the loss of loved ones in the Oklahoma City bombing, the documentary suggests that grief isn't about closure, but rather about moving forward without forgetting the past. Combining footage of the memorials in Oklahoma City and candid interviews with people who are still suffering, the film is blissfully free of either rationalizing or mawkishness. Unfortunately, however, nearly every shot is plagued with technical glitches--wildly over- or underexposed, with audio that is frequently filled with static. Plus, the talking-head interviews with a grief therapist who insists on staring directly into the shaky handheld camera are more disturbing than therapeutic. The lesson that grieving is a communal process that never fully goes away is one worth heeding, but this video isn't the best messenger. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (D. Fienberg)