A Long Look at the Short “July 17th, 1996”

July 17th, 1996 has become more of a life's pursuit rather than just being a short film. It's a day that has resonated with me since I was a child and has had a lasting impact on my life. For many people, this date has no meaning. For 230 people and their families, it's quite the opposite. It meant the end of so many lives, but for those left behind, it was the beginning of a deep, empty sadness that will never cease.

I first heard about the crash of TWA Flight 800 when I was playing in the backyard of my Long Island home. I was only 10 at the time, but for some reason I recall every detail of that day. I remember where I was standing, what direction I was looking in, and how odd it felt that a 747 had gone down just miles from my home. Ironically, I was looking toward the ocean when I heard the news. Little did I know that it had become the final resting place for 230 men, women and children - citizens from 14 different countries.

For people living on Long Island, the local communities were hit hard. Pieces of the airplane were washing ashore and beachgoers were finding body parts. This is why I'm very bothered by the fact that people in this country have forgotten that day. Since moving to Los Angeles, I've found that many people on the West Coast have no recollection of what happened, and so it's my intention to re-spark public awareness about this tragedy.

This jet had not only blown up in mid-air, but how and why it happened rapidly became the center of discussion amongst locals and media outlets. Hundreds of people who were on the beach that day, including ex-military and ex-navy officers, witnessed a streak of light trailing up toward the plane before it exploded. This was only the beginning of a conspiracy theory that the government had covered up a missile attack.

Of course, the film does depict a missile trailing up into the sky and hitting the airplane. I realize that many people will criticize me for this, and I'm fully prepared for the negative comments I might receive. I just want to make it clear that this is first and foremost a movie. It's my intention to present more of a "what if" story rather than to flat out state that a missile brought down TWA 800.

When people ask me what I think brought the plane down, I always say that I do not know. I'd never be presumptuous enough to speculate either way because I wasn't there and I'm not an expert on missile warfare or aeronautics. I've done tons of research and read books from both the government's and witnesses' point of view, and both have made strong arguments. However, there was always something about this case that never added up to me. I think most intelligent people have felt the same way. There always seemed to be pieces missing, and that's what compelled me to spend so much time researching and obsessing over this story.

When I came across the Nelson DeMille novel in 2004, I thought to myself, "This has got to be a movie. This must be the greatest murder mystery ever written". It wasn't until two years later, when I was sitting around thinking about what project I was going to do next, that I realized someone had dropped this amazing concept into my lap. I had obsessed over Flight 800 since I was 10, but suddenly there was a new side of the story to tell. What if two people accidentally videotaped the crash and the case was reopened? Surely after 9/11 this wasn't such a farfetched concept. Unfortunately, the year was 1996 and video camcorders weren't as prominent, but after reading the book and making this film, I rediscovered what got me interested in Flight 800 to begin with.

I think the way the crash is depicted in the movie is very unique. It's not a Hollywood rendering of a plane going down, but rather based off the official CIA animation and witness testimonies. Most witnesses didn't even know that they were watching a plane crash. It was so far off shore, many people described it as fireworks. I think using some handheld work and keeping the shots simple puts the audience on the beach the night the plane went down.

After attending the memorial service on Long Island this past summer, my entire perspective changed. You sometimes lose sight of the fact that this was a real tragedy that affected real people. When I spoke with some of the family members, I realized they will wear the scars of this day for the rest of their life. This is not something you ever bounce back from.

I remember hearing a woman telling a reporter that even as the years go by, it never gets any easier. In order for this to become a feature film, you have to respect what happened. The victims and their families must come first. They should be honored. Even though July 17th is a work of fiction, I dedicate it first and foremost to the victims and their families on that horrible day.