TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! Premiering appropriately at the Tribeca Film Festival is the documentary IX XI from writer/director Sean Wilsey about twelve New Yorkers discussing the Twin Towers and the events of 9/11/2001.

IX XI stands for the Roman numerals 9 and 11. The documentary begins with the initial design inspiration for the World Trade Center by its architect, Minoru Yamasaki, prior to its destruction in 2001. Writer/director Sean Wilsey then moves on to each interviewee and their recollection of the morning before the planes crashed into the buildings. There is no connection, per se, between them, just twelve random people giving their own accounts of that day and their thoughts on the building itself as a character. The interviewees include everyone from a person who worked in the building to a UPS employee and even a man who had dinner in one of the towers the night before. Wilsey uses footage from that day, of course, but also chooses to incorporate B-roll from films such as The Sound of Music, Scarface, and the 1978 animated film The Lord of the Rings, which I found to be interesting choices.

As I always say when it comes to documentaries, there’s a general map of what you want to do or where you want to go, but as you interview people, their answers can change that path. Where the meat of the documentary lies is with Stefan Springman, a cameraman for ABC News during the attacks, and his passion for the news business. As soon as he heard the buildings were collapsing, he knew he needed to get to the scene and film what was happening. His stories and camera footage add some of the more intriguing aspects of the documentary.

“There is no connection, per se, between them, just twelve random people giving their own accounts of that day…”

Actor Griffin Dunne was also interviewed. Since he appeared in Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, which takes place in New York, it made sense to use B-roll from the film when he gave his take on the events of that day. He recalled a memorable moment when, for part of the day, it felt as if it was business as usual for some people. He shared how appalled he was when he received an invitation to a red carpet premiere scheduled for that evening.

Although there are twelve different people being interviewed, I found that some of the stories didn’t necessarily flow into the documentary as a whole. For example, Kifah Shah discussed her life both before and after 9/11 because of her ethnicity and religious background. Her story seemed intended to illustrate the racism that intensified after the attacks, but I felt the audience needed more.

This September will be the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and for those curious for a different perspective, IX XI  is something to look at.

IX XI screened at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.