IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS: STUYVESANT HIGH ON 9/11, Documentary Exploring September 11th Through the Eyes and Lives of Stuyvesant High School Students Debuts Sept. 11, Exclusively on HBO
HBO PRFollow
Aug 19 4 min read
When the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001, students had just started their day at Stuyvesant, the prestigious New York City specialized public high school, blocks from the World Trade Center. Directed and produced by seven-time Emmy -winner Amy Schatz (HBO's Song of Parkland , The Number on Great-Grandpa's Arm and An Apology to Elephants ), IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS: STUYVESANT HIGH ON 9/11 offers a unique eyewitness perspective on that tragic day and its aftermath from former Stuyvesant students, when it debuts WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (9:00-9:35 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
PHOTO BY ETHAN MOSES, STUYVESANT HS Class of '02/ HBO. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.Also directed and produced by Amy Schatz, WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 11, a short film for children, will debut WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (6:00-6:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO FAMILY and platforms. The 30-minute family documentary, produced in association with the 9-11 Tribute Museum, is an introduction to the events of 9-11 for a young audience.
Both films will be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners' streaming platforms.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS revisits the events of 9/11 through conversations with eight Stuyvesant alumni who, as teenagers, lived through the attack and whose lives were forever changed by it. People don't really talk about the fact that there were kids there, says Himanshu Suri. The former students recall a normal, sunny day, one of the first days of the school year, suddenly interrupted by disaster. Absolutely everything changed that day, recounts Ilya Feldsherov, who was 17 at the time.
The film's subjects describe the chaos of the day - witnessing the planes crash, fleeing from the encroaching dust cloud from the towers' collapse, and their harrowing journeys home, often miles away in the city's outer boroughs, including Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
As the teens poured out onto the streets, they tried to find each other and stick together - especially students of South Asian descent, who immediately feared becoming victims of misdirected anger. Himanshu Suri and Taresh Batra recall walking with young women wearing hijabs who were cursed at by men on the street. Mohammad Haque, the son of Bangladeshi immigrants, remembers realizing he was in a war zone from the moment he called his father, who begged him to please just survive.
Representing students from various immigrant communities and backgrounds, the participants speak about the backlash against minorities that followed the attack and the deep friendships with classmates that got them through.
My parents wouldn't let me out of the house, recalls Mohammad Haque. They were afraid that some random person with some preconceived notion or idea would take out their anger and frustrations on some kid that they see who looks like something that they imagine to be fearful. About returning to Stuyvesant he adds, there was just a harmony in our class because of what we went through and how we understood that everyone was accepting of one another.
The film provides a moving portrait of a community united. We were just so close, says Liz O'Callahan who notes that she and her classmates solidified relationships in ways that have carried forward.
A story about how it felt to be a young person at ground zero, the film explores the ways in which September 11th shaped these students' lives and their dreams for America, and how it continues to shape our world today.
The documentary's participants include Taresh Batra, Catherine Choy, Ilya Feldsherov, Mohammad Haque, Liz O'Callahan, Himanshu Suri, Michael Vogel, Carlos Williams. IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS includes a song by Suri, also known as rap artist Heems, that describes his post-9/11 experience. Many of the students featured in the film were also involved in the making of With Their Eyes, a play created in 2001 by Stuyvesant students and teacher Annie Thoms about the community's 9/11 experience.
Photographs of Stuyvesant high school life were taken by Ethan Moses, Stuyvesant class of '02.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS: STUYVESANT HIGH ON 9/11 is dedicated to Stuyvesant alumnus Catherine Choy who died shortly after filming for the documentary. The film was directed and produced by Amy Schatz; editor Tom Patterson; director of photography Alex Rappoport; music composed by Keith Kenniff; co-producers Katy Garfield and Sascha Weiss; consulting producer, Diane Kolyer; production executive, Susan Benaroya; supervising producer, Sara Rodriguez; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
Follow @HBOPR on Twitter & Instagram for more news and information.
North America Stories
13/12/2025
In a move that will help it offer more flexible and less costly programming options, YouTube TV has announced that it will be launching YouTube TV Plans with mo...
13/12/2025
SINGAPORE Magna Systems has designed, built and completed what is believed to be the first full UHD and IP-based OB truck in Southeast Asia for a Singapore medi...
12/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Everything You Need to Know for Next Week's Big Sho...
12/12/2025
Hailey Gates at the Atropia premiere (photo by George Pimentel / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
12/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the elimination of Federal federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and changes in the way they...
12/12/2025
Wisycom and DPA Microphones announce the appointment of Ren Moerch as Group Product Director, Wireless, a strategic leadership role that will guide the combine...
12/12/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, in conjuncture with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technolog...
12/12/2025
Keepit, the vendor-independent, cloud-native data protection provider, today announced a strategic go-to-market relationship in Poland with Ingram Micro, a lead...
12/12/2025
Atomos announced the immediate availability of a new firmware update for its Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX monitor-recorders, unlocking Open Gate 48P RAW recording w...
12/12/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) once again played a critical role in delivering flawless wireless coordination and support at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards a...
12/12/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), together with the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadc...
12/12/2025
DHD audio will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of digital audio production solutions on Booth 321 in Hall B6 at Hamburg Open 2026. The show will b...
12/12/2025
Chaos today announces the release of V-Ray for Blender, update 2, bringing its award-winning rendering technology to even more Blender users by adding support f...
12/12/2025
Lighting specialist UltraLEDs has launched Precision LED Tape, a high-CRI lighting solution designed specifically for professional film, TV, and studio use.
P...
12/12/2025
Zixi, the Emmy Award-winning leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that Roi Sasson has joined the company as Vice President, Engineer...
12/12/2025
BitFire (bitfire.tv), the leader in software-defined live production and IP transmission, today announced a strategic partnership with Appear, a leader in high-...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
HUDSON, Mass. BitFire and Appear have struck a strategic partnership aimed at offering broadcasters, sports leagues and streaming platforms a faster, more flexi...
12/12/2025
The broadcast industry is evolving faster than ever. #IPWorkflows #remoteproduction, and next-gen audio systems are reshaping how teams design, deliver, and sca...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The payroll and production accounting platform Wrapbook has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a modern scheduling platform for film and televisi...
12/12/2025
DEHLI Ross Video has announced that it is expanding and restructuring its commercial and technical teams in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...
12/12/2025
LONDON Following the success of its UK launch in January 2025, Rise AV, the global not-for-profit initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in the ...
12/12/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Ad-supported streaming service Tubi next week will launch Matter Casting, a new casting standard that will enable seamless mobile-to-TV viewing di...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
In Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, fans of the Golden Knights are getting more than just hockey - they're getting a taste of the future. ADAM, a robot devel...
12/12/2025
Scripps Research team pioneers an efficient way to stereoselectively add fluorine to drug-like molecules A new method uses a novel catalyst and inexpensive fluo...
11/12/2025
ESPN's Aims for Spectacular With Heisman Trophy ShowEvent firsts include 1080p HDR production airing on both national broadcast and cableBy Dan Daley, Audio...
11/12/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Frankie Patton, University of ColoradoThe 2025 grad is hitting the ground running as a PA on national broadcastsBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 3By SVG Staff
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:24 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2...
11/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: What Makes Gen Z, X, and Y Fans Tick? Dave Gavant of WSC Sports Go...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: 5G, MXL, Spectrum Loss, and Outerspace on Tap for Tues...
11/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: David Levy, Turner Titan and Master of Al...
11/12/2025
SVG Launches Follow the Money' Podcast: Go Inside the Sports Media Biz with...
11/12/2025
A Deep Dive Inside Game Creek Video's Bird and Magic Mobile Units, Home to A...
11/12/2025
How Sound Effects for Monsters Funday Football' Emulated the Sonic Soul of ...
11/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CSP Mobile Productions' Len Chase on Upgrading Tr...
11/12/2025
New satellites for the SDA Tranche 1 Tracking program in production at L3Harris&...
11/12/2025
The Meadowlands system, a compact and mobile version of the CCS, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications....
11/12/2025
The L3Harris demonstration united tactical communications devices, counter-UAS c...
11/12/2025
Throughout 2025, L3Harris delivered innovative solutions to U.S. and allied warfighters across every domain.
With an unrelenting commitment to excellence, our...
11/12/2025
A Majority of the World's Population (51%) Identify As Soccer Fans
The 2025 MLB postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up +24% from the prior y...
11/12/2025
WALTHAM, Mass. Video-over-IP software provider Zixi said Roi Sasson has joined the company as vice president, engineering....
11/12/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. In a move that highlights the growing competition between broadcasters and CTV platforms for local advertising, LG Ad Solutions has announ...
11/12/2025
Boston Conservatory Earns Several Best of Accolades in 2025 Highlights include a faculty Grammy win, a seventh consecutive year on Playbill's list of co...
11/12/2025
RASTATT, Germany Lawo and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) have partnered to launch the SMPTE ST 2110 Practical Lab, an immersive ...
11/12/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcasts Xfinity operating brand has announced the launch of new national video plans with all-in pricing that the operator said will provide custo...
11/12/2025
After eight years of declines, MoffettNathansons new Cord Cutting Monitor for Q3 2025 shows that pay TV subscribers to linear TV packages rose by 303,000, the f...
11/12/2025
Happy Holidays from Berklee Enjoy this years holiday student-performance video.
December 10, 2025
By
Office of the President
Dear Berklee community,
As w...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
The Teaser Trailer and the Key Art of Motorvalley, the New Ser...
IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWERS: STUYVESANT HIGH ON 9/11, Documentary Exploring September 11th Through the Eyes and Lives of Stuyvesant High School Students Debuts Sept. 11, Exclusively on HBO
