A new documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks offers an in-depth and personal account of the harrowing experiences of survivors from the World Trade Center collapse. The film features firsthand testimonies from individuals who were inside the towers during the attacks, many speaking publicly about their escapes for the first time.

Among those featured is Rob Chess, a trader who worked eight floors below the northern tower’s impact zone. Chess recalls spending nearly the entire time after the plane struck in a stairwell, unaware of the full scale of the disaster unfolding above and around him. “From the time the plane hit, 99.9 percent of that time I was in a stairwell,” he said. While people outside the building were following updates on television or witnessing the events on the streets, those trapped inside had limited information and faced extreme uncertainty.

The documentary also highlights the varied and often unpredictable circumstances that shaped survivors’ experiences. These include a man who had just arrived in the building lobby to meet a client, a security officer working in the basement, and others who navigated through smoke, fire, and structural collapses in their efforts to reach safety. Their stories underscore the profound physical and psychological challenges faced in the moments leading up to the towers’ collapse.

The film aims to provide viewers with an immersive look at the events inside the World Trade Center on that day, drawing on extensive interviews to piece together individual journeys of survival. It serves both as a tribute to those who lived through the attacks and as a reminder of the enduring impact on those who witnessed the tragedy firsthand.