SEPTEMBER'S CHILDREN
Premiering on American Public Television stations in September
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 destroyed a sense of safety for every adult and child in America. The psychological and emotional trauma of the day continues to reverberate across the country and around the world. The news provides relentless and graphic details of the war in Iraq, suicide bombings in Israel, street battles in Gaza and the West Bank, and renewed insurgency in Afghanistan. And children are increasingly part of this news, often the victims of indiscriminate bombings. Research shows that when children are repeatedly subjected to fear and danger, the emotions alter their brain chemistry, leaving disabling patterns that can linger for a lifetime.
As the third anniversary of September 11th approaches, an unparalleled challenge persists: how should parents explain to children the events of September 11th and all that has occurred in its wake? During a time of war and heightened security alerts, how do you put a child's mind at peace while preparing him or her for what might still happen?
September's Children, airing on public television stations nationwide beginning September 1, 2004 (check local listings), addresses this urgent and growing need. September's Children presents personal, moving, memorable stories from the United States, Afghanistan and the Middle East, that offer valuable insight into alleviating the emotional trauma of war and terrorism on children.
The program brings to life the searing events of September 11th through the eyes of the children who witnessed them. Filmmakers documented life at Public School 234 -- the elementary school closest to Ground Zero -- as children, parents and teachers sought to gain perspective and resolution in the months following the attacks. In other war zones like Afghanistan, Israel and Gaza, the program examines how teachers, parents and mental health workers are using innovative techniques to treat the emotional havoc war and violence inflicts on children.
Six months following the tragedy, the production team was granted exclusive access to First Lady Laura Bush's emotional meeting with the 5th graders of P.S. 234. There, the children reveal their feelings and the challenges they faced after being evacuated from school on that terrifying autumn morning. The school principal, the 5th grade teacher and the school psychologist offer advice on how parents, educators and other adult caregivers may help children cope with extraordinary grief, loss, fear, anxiety and stress.
In war-torn Afghanistan, September's Children profiles children born into a country with a long history of conflict and war. Growing up in the midst of foreign occupation, civil war and the Taliban regime has produced unimaginable effects on the psyche of the Afghan children. Twelve year-old Miriam Sarwar remembers the constant sound of gunfire. Now, thanks to the overthrow of the Taliban regime, children like Miriam have the opportunity to attend school (previously banned under the Taliban) and also receive psychological counseling.
The epicenter of global conflict, the Middle East, is a region where perpetual cycles of violence and recrimination have forced people to deal with recurring trauma, as well as develop innovative ways to deal with pain and suffering. The program journeys to Israel and Palestine to speak with children whose daily lives are defined by ongoing acts of terror and tragedy. The children in Israel and Gaza live in constant fear of the next attack - and too often, they are its victims.
In Israel, a high school student still has shrapnel wounds from a terrorist school bus bombing. His physical wounds have since healed but Shai Cohen still suffers terrifying flashbacks of that early summer morning, "At the exact moment of the explosion...we looked each other in the eye. Me and the terrorist, we looked each other in the eye and then ...he immediately exploded." Shai is slowly learning to cope with his dark memories of the dreadful day as he pieces his shattered life back together with help from his family, doctors and school counselors.
In Gaza, 14-year-old Ibrahim can't sleep -- another victim of post-traumatic stress. The
young Palestinian's apartment building was destroyed by a bomb from an Israeli F-16.
Ibrahim draws pictures to deal with the death and destruction he has witnessed. As one Israeli psychologist laments, "Our work starts only after the war is over. And what we are doing now is - mopping the floor with the tap still running."
Although children are the most vulnerable and the most likely to suffer long-term psychological consequences from exposure to violence, they also prove to be the most resilient. September's Children returns later to visit with the children of New York and Afghanistan to explore whether and how time is healing their psychological wounds. The program concludes on a hopeful and triumphant note: P.S. 234's fifth grade graduation ceremony.
September's Children is an unforgettable story of devastation and reconstruction, of grief and consolation, of fear and reassurance, of anxiety and comfort, as told by the youngest veterans of the war on terrorism.
A production of Newsweek Productions in association with Docere Digital Studios. Executive produced by Patrick Butler. Senior producers are Timothy Smith and Brian Breger. Produced in 2004, September's Children is supplied by Newsweek Productions and presented by American Public Television through the Exchange service at no cost to public television stations nationwide.
About Newsweek Productions
Newsweek Productions is a subsidiary of Newsweek magazine, established to produce news, public affairs and informational television programming. Newsweek Productions produced the long-running series HealthWeek, a weekly half-hour newsmagazine on public television that offered the latest information on health, medicine, wellness, nutrition and fitness.
About American Public Television
For 42 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations. APT has distributed more than 10,000 hours of programming, including Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter, Globe Trekker, Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World, Nightly Business Report, Rick Steves' Europe, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Ballykissangel, Brian Jacques' Redwall and Sinatra: The Classic Duets. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In more than four decades, it has established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
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