11 de Setembro

8h46. Acordei sobressaltado. Era 11 de setembro de 2001, o início de uma longa jornada em Nova York que duraria seis anos. Dividia um pequeno apartamento na Stanton Street com o amigo David Manich. Ele voltava de Los Angeles, eu do Rio, carregando sonhos e planos.

O verão estava em seu auge, com o céu azul e imenso. De repente, um ruído cortou o ar – mais alto do que o habitual das sirenes e dos vizinhos barulhentos. Fumaça no horizonte, gritos e lágrimas nos dias que se seguiram. Da calçada, testemunhei as torres sumirem no ar. Do outro lado do oceano, minha mãe acordava o amigo Silvio Barsetti: “Silvio, estão destruindo Nova York e o Marco está lá. Me ajude!” disse ela, desesperada. Silvio, ainda meio sonolento, achou que era apenas mais um filme de Godzilla. “Não, não é filme”, respondeu ela, tremendo.

E não era. Parecia roteiro de Hollywood, mas era a vida. Sobrevivemos àquele 11 de setembro e a tantos outros que se seguiram – furacões, epidemias, caos. Nunca peguei dengue, nem COVID, mas as doenças crônicas chegaram, a febre da juventude se dissipou, e até Dona Arlete, minha mãe, se foi, levando consigo sua eterna preocupação. Restaram dezenas de outras vozes, abraços que me acolhem.

Mas não desisto de viver nesse mundo instável. Nem aviões, pandemias, furacões. Seguimos resistindo. #11desetembro

We can never forget

On September 11, 2001, I was living in the Lower East Side, just a few blocks from Ground Zero. That morning, like so many others, I watched in disbelief as the unimaginable happened right in front of me. From the sidewalks, I could see the smoke rising, hear the sirens wailing, and feel the shockwave of fear and confusion ripple through the city.

The sky, once clear, was filled with ash, and the air thick with uncertainty. For days, I lost communication with my family and friends. The silence was deafening, adding another layer to the chaos and fear we all felt. In those moments, the city that never sleeps felt frozen in time, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

The sense of helplessness was overwhelming, but the solidarity among strangers was a small light in that dark time.I wrote a chronicle about my experience during 9/11, which became part of my book, “Pieces of My Heart”, released last year (available now on Amazon Books). Writing about those moments was both cathartic and necessary.

The emotions, the confusion, and the loss are forever etched in my memory, but so too is the resilience of this city and its people. As we reflect on that day, let us also hold space for peace in this complicated world. We can never forget, but we can always strive for a future where such tragedy doesn’t repeat itself.

#NeverForget #September11 #LowerEastSide #PiecesOfMyHeart #NYCResilience #PeaceForTheWorld #GroundZero #911Memorial #UnityAndStrength

‘I'm Still Here’ Stars and Director Take Us Back to 1970's Brazil

The latest from 'The Motorcycle Diaries' director Walter Salles focuses on the real-life story of Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres), whose terrifying experience of sequestration and loss during Brazil’s military dictatorship transformed her into an activist, lawyer, and hero.

#film #tiff2024 #brazil #interview