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A documentary · In production

What happens when the first generation with no memory of 9/11 is asked to understand it?

Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation

Watch the trailer

The Film

Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation follows historian Matthew Warshauer and his students over the course of a semester as they look beyond the attacks themselves and confront the larger history surrounding September 11. In the classroom, at Ground Zero and through encounters with the people and consequences of the post-9/11 world, they wrestle with difficult questions about American power, terrorism, war, patriotism and, ultimately, responsibility.

Blending intimate observational filmmaking with extraordinary archival footage and graphic-novel-style animation, Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation brings history to life through the eyes of students discovering it for the first time — with a teacher determined to reveal that understanding the past is the first step toward shaping what comes next.

Matthew Warshauer and his students seated in a wide circle in a classroom
“Those born so long after 9/11 have no memory of that day. They are told to remember, to not forget. That’s impossible – all they can do is learn.”
— Matthew Warshauer

The Message

Twenty-five years after 9/11, “Never Forget” is an impossible refrain for a generation born after the attacks. The challenge now is different: what should they know, and why does it still matter?

Public memory has largely centered on the horror and heroism of September 11th — what Warshauer calls “the tragedy and triumph narrative.” But the full story is bigger than the 102 minutes of the attack itself. Any real understanding must include the decades that preceded 9/11, the choices America made afterward, and the wars, policies and political consequences that followed.

Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation seeks to move the conversation from remembrance alone toward understanding. At a time of misinformation, distrust and political disengagement, the film makes a case for history as a civic tool: a way to question inherited narratives, weigh evidence and recognize that new choices can impact the future.

President George W. Bush addresses a joint session of Congress
“How the nation responded, both immediately after and in the years that followed, have profoundly shaped the 9/11 Generation and the world they must ultimately lead.”

Our Release

The generation born after 9/11 will soon be responsible for leading America into the future. Our release will meet them where they are, in the classrooms and lecture halls, where they are learning history and becoming knowledgeable citizens.

Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation will equip students to understand the causes, choices and consequences surrounding 9/11, while giving educators practical ways to teach this history through inquiry, evidence and discussion.

Our impact campaign will extend the film beyond the screen through:

  • Educational Screening Events & Conversations at universities and programs in history, political science, criminal justice, international relations, journalism, media literacy, peace and conflict studies, civic education and public history.
  • Train the Trainer Campaign providing educators with tools and guidance to engage students using the inquiry-driven approach modeled by Matt in the film.
  • Classroom-Ready Toolkit with teaching materials and discussion guides for a single class hour
  • Civic & Youth Organization Screenings reaching young adults ages 18–24
  • Digital release through major online streaming platforms
  • Interactive virtual screenings in communities across the country
  • National PBS Broadcast reaching millions of U.S. viewers
“9/11 Generation might just come to grips with where we stand in the world today and find ways to lead us toward a better future.”

The Team

Portrait of Tim van den Hoff

Director / Producer

Tim van den Hoff

Tim is a Dutch documentary filmmaker whose feature Monumental Crossroads, exploring Confederate monuments and Civil War memory, was adopted by hundreds of universities across the United States. Other works, such as The Toxic Reigns of Resentment and The Specter of Populism, continue his collaborations with academics to translate complex ideas into engaging documentary films.

Author / Historian

Matthew Warshauer

Matt is a CSU Distinguished Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and the author of six books. For 40 years, his work has explored the American experiment in self-government, with expertise spanning political and constitutional history, civil liberties, patriotism, nationalism, 9/11 and the War on Terror.

Join Us

We’re looking for partners to help bring Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation to completion and into classrooms across the country.

We’re building partnerships with foundations, universities, educators and civic organizations: to fund the final stages of production, to host screenings and conversations, and to shape the impact campaign around the film. Tell us a little about your organization and we’ll be in touch.