Former New York Governor George Pataki is set to release a new documentary detailing the rebuilding of Ground Zero, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Titled "Out of the Darkness," the film, funded by Pataki's Albany-based nonprofit, the George Pataki Center, aims to honor the nearly 3,000 individuals killed in the attacks.
"9/11 wasn’t some sort of an accident. It was a terrorist attack carried out by radical Islamists who wanted to take away our freedom and force us to live in fear," Pataki stated in an interview regarding the documentary.
The documentary will cover the Empire State's reconstruction process and the establishment of a memorial for the victims. It is scheduled to be available for free viewing on the George Pataki Center's website following its premiere.
Earlier in the week, Pataki was recognized for his leadership during and after the 9/11 attacks. Businessman John Catsimatidis, owner of Gristedes supermarkets, announced that he would honor the former governor with "The Leadership Crisis Award" at an upcoming memorial gala. The gala also aims to highlight the story behind the rebuilding of Ground Zero.
Pataki reflected on the challenges of the rebuilding process, noting the multitude of opinions on how to proceed. "Everybody, not just in New York, but around the country had an opinion as to what should be done," he said. "And we had to cut through all those emotions, which was hard to do and just keep our eye on the vision as to what we wanted to end up with there. And it worked out extremely well."
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