A Firsthand Witness to History
Paul Eliacin remembers the smoke first. Thick. Dark. Unnatural. It filled the air long before the news made it clear what was happening.
Three days after the September 11, 2001, attack, Paul wasn’t watching the tragedy unfold from a TV screen. He was there at Ground Zero as a First Responder. With his camera in hand.
“I never planned to be a part of history that day,” Paul says. “But when the world changed, I was standing in the middle of it.”
He wasn’t just a bystander. As a longtime Theatrical Teamster in New York’s film and TV industry, Paul had years of experience on production sets. But 9/11 was not a movie set. It was real. Raw. Terrifying.
And he captured it.
A Filmmaker’s Eye in a Moment of Crisis
When the towers fell, Paul, a good hearted caring man was upset. And wanted to do whatever he could to help. When he finally got the opportunity to help after the first day there he noticed no one was documenting this. He grabbed his camera and did what came naturally he documented. Not for profit. Not for fame. But because he knew these moments mattered.
“I didn’t know what I was recording,” he says. “I just knew I had to.”
Over the course of those first days and weeks, Paul Eliacin filmed five hours of footage. He also took over 300 photos. Some of what he saw was almost too difficult to process: first responders working around the clock, people covered in ash searching for loved ones, and the silent stillness where the towers once stood.
What he captured wasn’t just destruction—it was humanity. Courage. Grief. Resilience.
Why He Waited to Share It
Paul didn’t rush to release his footage. He’s held onto it for over two decades. Now, with the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, he feels the time is right.
“I want to create something powerful,” he says. “Not just to remember what happened, but to honor the people who lived it, the ones we lost, and the strength that came after. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.”
Paul is planning a documentary that will use his unseen footage and photographs to tell the story from a street-level view. It will combine personal experience, community voices, and untold stories
He is not approaching this project as a detached filmmaker. He was part of it. He believes that his perspective—both behind the lens and as a New Yorker—offers something distinct.
If you are interested in getting involved with the film and have experience in post-production, film festivals, editing, or documentary directing, or if you are a writer or a college student seeking an internship and looking to learn about any area of the film industry, Or wanted to help at ground zero. And never had the opportunity to do so. please contact me at paulee27777@outlook.com.
Thank you.
A Life Built on Resilience
Paul’s decision to tell this story now is rooted in his own journey. Raised in Brooklyn, one of eight children, he grew discontented after his mother’s mental health crisis. He battled feelings of failure, dropped out of school, and once thought he had no future.
But he turned his life around. He got his GED, studied theology, and worked his way into New York’s film industry—spending over 30 years as a Teamster on major sets like Law & Order SVU, Men In Black, and The Sopranos. He even directed and released his own feature film, Up In Harlem, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Still, he says nothing in his career has stayed with him the way 9/11 has.
“I can’t forget the faces,” Paul says quietly. “I can’t forget the fear. And I can’t forget how people came together.”
A Call to Reflect and Respond
Paul hopes his upcoming project doesn’t just inform it sparks conversation again and again.
“Everyone remembers where they were,” he says. “But not everyone saw what I saw. I want people to share their stories too. What they felt. What they feared. What they learned.”
Where comments are allowed—on social media, streaming platforms, or community events—he encourages people to share how 9/11 shaped them.
“I want it to be a space where people connect. That’s how healing happens.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
As the 25th anniversary nears in 2026, Paul is working quietly behind the scenes. He’s going through hours of footage. Sorting photos. Drafting scripts. Reaching out to people he met that day and in the weeks that followed.
He knows that telling this story won’t be easy. But it’s necessary.
“This isn’t just my story,” he says. “It’s New York’s story. It’s America’s story. And we still have more to learn from it.”
Read more:
Sickened but Still Standing: Paul Eliacin’s Ground Zero Story 25 Years After 9/11
