On Sept. 11, 2001, the date of the 9/11 terrorist attack on U.S. soil, San Diego native Michael Gier, Hollywood actor, producer, director and documentary filmmaker, was in Palm Springs. At the time, Gier was 38 years old and starring in a musical production in Los Angeles while also owning a real estate development company that was building homes in three states.
Gier grew up in San Diego and attended Brooklyn Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and San Diego High School. While living in San Diego, he was a resident actor at Lamb’s Players Theatre for several years and performed at a number of other local theaters. Gier occasionally returns to San Diego often to visit family and friends, he said.
“That morning, on 9/11, I was in Palm Springs meeting with a contractor and visiting homes that we were building,” Gier told Times of San Diego. “Before leaving my hotel, I saw the news that a plane had struck the World Trade Center, but at that point it was not yet clear that the United States was under attack. We didn’t have smartphones like we have today, so I didn’t fully understand the magnitude of what was happening. Later on I remember the realization as shocking.”
Gier lived in San Diego until his early 20s, when he moved to Los Angeles to continue his career as an entertainer. He has starred in Broadway shows all over the country, followed by TV and film actor. Additional credits include appearances on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Mrs. Harris” with Ben Kingsley, “Baskets” with Louie Anderson and Zach Galifianakis, “Suddenly Susan” with Brooke Shields and a recurring role on “The Bold and The Beautiful.”
In 2009, he founded Gier Productions, a full-service, global production company. Over the years he’s directed and produced hundreds of TV commercials, corporate videos, short films, feature films and documentaries.
In 2021, Gier released two award-winning documentary films, “Wounded Heroes” and “Healing the Heroes of 9-11.” Both films feature successful alternative treatments that help those battling PTSD get their lives back.
Then, in early 2022, Chris Meek, approached Gier with an idea about another documentary about 9/11.
On 9/11 in 2001, Meek was working at the American Stock Exchange running floor trading for Goldman Sachs. He considers himself fortunate to have been among the Ground Zero survivors who were able to escape the aftermath of the collapse of the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center.
As part of a successful career as a financial services executive involved in the Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) marketplace since 2000, Meek founded SoldierStrong, a nonprofit that helps America’s veterans through the donation of revolutionary medical technologies to Veterans Affairs medical facilities and individual veterans across the country. To date, SoldierStrong has donated more than $5.5 million in medical technology to benefit the lives of injured veterans.
“I was at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001,” said Meek. “For years, the only version of that day I saw on screen was the one I already couldn’t forget, the timeline, the tragedy. Yes, those things are important, but there is more to the story of what happened that day.”
The two men joined forces for the 119-minute documentary “The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11: From Tragedy to Triumph,” which was first released over the summer.
Gier served as the film’s producer and director, while Meek was its executive producer. A theatrical premiere is scheduled for Sept. 8 at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square in New York.
“I didn’t want to produce a 9/11 film similar to what’s been done before, so instead, I pitched the idea that we produce a film that would feature the positive things that came from 9/11 despite the tragedy,” said Gier. “Chris loved the idea, and so our film goes beyond the tragedy of Sept. 11 and instead features the incredible acts of bravery, humanity and resilience that followed.
“My team and I traveled across the country conducting interviews and filming dramatized reenactments, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. I wanted to focus not on tragedy but on the extraordinary stories of heroism, resiliency and humanity that emerged despite it. The result is a film I hope audiences find deeply inspirational. It’s been an honor and a privilege to be part of this powerful documentary, and I’m excited to share it with the world.”
A statement said the documentary takes an approach unlike that of any other film about Sept. 11, 2001. Without ever minimizing the loss of that day, it turns its attention to what came after, including the extraordinary courage, heroism and resilience of the people who stepped forward when the country needed them most.
“There have been many films about 9/11, but ours is different,” said Gier. “We focus on the positive things that came out of that day despite the tragedy. It’s an inspirational story about how people came together and how a nation found strength in the face of something unimaginable, and it’s full of powerful stories most people have never heard.
“Our film is uplifting and inspirational, honoring those who stepped forward in a time of crisis, introducing remarkable stories to new audiences, and reminding us of the strength, unity and humanity that can emerge when people come together.”
“The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11” is not just a tribute to those we lost, but a celebration of the indomitable spirit that rose from the ashes. It is a story of hope, proving that even in tragedy, light can be found in the courage and compassion of everyday people, a statement said.
“As chaos unfolded at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, both first responders and ordinary civilians made split-second decisions to run toward danger, risking, and in many cases sacrificing, their own lives to save others,” said a statement. “Amid the smoke, rubble, and fear, strangers became heroes, revealing the incredible strength of the human spirit.”
Through firsthand accounts, archival footage and dramatized reenactments, the film brings viewers to all three sites of the attacks, including the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Penn. The film honors the heroes of that day and celebrates the strength of a nation that rose from tragedy to triumph.
It features interviews with former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card, Port Authority Police Officer Will Jimeno, former CIA Director Leon Panetta, country music legend Lee Greenwood and former Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson.
The film also tells the story of the 9/11 boatlift, the largest sea evacuation in history, along with the heroism of the passengers aboard Flight 93 and the first responders and civilians who carried out rescue efforts at the Pentagon.
“September 11 changed all of us, but it also revealed the very best of America,” said Meek. “This film tells the other half: the courage, the kindness, the way people refused to leave each other behind This film exists to ensure that the stories of heroism, sacrifice, resilience and compassion that emerged from that day are never forgotten. That’s the part I want Americans to know and to remember 25 years on.”
The film’s narrator is actor Gary Sinise, actor, producer, director, philanthropist and veterans advocate
“I wanted to narrate this film because of the importance of its message,” said Sinise. “I think it’s very important that we never forget that day, and I think `The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11’ is going to have a great impact. It will be a film that lives on and helps future generations understand what happened that day.”
“The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11” has earned five Best Documentary honors from the Beaufort International Film Festival, CENFLO Film Festival, New York City Independent Film Festival, New York Movie Awards and the London Movie Awards.
The documentary is available on Amazon Prime Video, Google TV, Apple TV and YouTube Movies. The film’s trailer and links to all streaming platforms are available at www.The911Film.com.
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c3 Communications organizing San Diego’s 9/11 Day
San Diego public relations firm c3 Communications reports that it has been selected as the agency of record to represent San Diego in “9/11 Day,” a national event that facilitates a day of service and remembrance observed every Sept. 11th.
Joice Truban Curry, c3 president and CEO, said she and husband Sean Curry haves been coordinating logistics for months on San Diego’s participation in the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93.
Curry said more than 600 volunteers will meet for two hours on Friday morning, Sept. 11, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Bing Crosby Hall, to pack more than 200,000 meals for distribution to Feeding San Diego, a nonprofit hunger-relief organization.
The San Diego event is part of a 51-city volunteer effort focusing on hunger relief, said Curry. More than 50,000 volunteers with companies, sports teams, nonprofits, and colleges are expected to prepare more than 20 million meals on Sept. 11, all benefiting local food insecure charities in each of the 51 cities, she said.
“Each September 11th has become an anniversary for doing good as a tribute to those who were lost and honor their memories,” Curry said. “The movement’s core message is `united for good.’ Rather than just observing a moment of silence, people across the country are encouraged to perform acts of service or charity.
“c3 is beaming with pride to be part of keeping the promise to never forget and be part of the largest day of service in American history, making a difference across the U.S.”
In 2009 Congress officially designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, giving 9/11 Day federal recognition. Activities on 9/11 Day typically include volunteer projects, including food drives, park cleanups, care packages for veterans or first responders, fundraising for charities tied to 9/11-related causes, blood drives and educational programs in schools about service, unity and civic engagement.
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San Diego Press Club offers advice on how to get a reporter’s attention
The San Diego Press Club (SDPC) will host “Will My Pitch Get Attention or Deleted,” an online panel discussion with four journalists listening to editorial story pitches from public relations practitioners from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 over Zoom.
The event format will be a virtual “Shark Tank-style” featuring brave PR pros pitching story ideas to the panelists and receiving candid, real-time feedback on what works, what doesn’t and why, SDPC said.
Panelists include Pam Kragen, arts and entertainment editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Vince Fanghella, news producer, KNSD-TV; Andrew Keatts, editor and general manager, Times of San Diego; Tammy Murga, environment reporter, KPBS.
Cost to attend is free. The broadcast is open to the public. For more event information and to RSVP, visit www.sdpressclub.org, or send an email to admin@sdpressclub.org. Following registration, attendees will receive the event Zoom link.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly in Times of San Diego.
