A movie poster for 'Memories from Ground Zero,' a film by Rory Duffy, showing a destroyed cityscape with rubble and damaged buildings, and a smoky, apocalyptic sky. The poster mentions the date September 11th and suggests it provides the perspective of those who experienced it.

Memories From Ground Zero

This short documentary centers on the personal, vivid recollections of a firefighter who was immersed in the chaos and devastation at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. Through raw oral history—recounted in Duffy’s understated visual style—the documentary offers an intimate portrait of that day: the sounds, the sights, the dust, and the emotional aftermath. Without relying on narration or broad commentary, the film amplifies the visceral human experience of surviving the attacks, channeling a nuanced personal journey of trauma, resilience, and memory.

July 11, 2025
12-12:40 PM

Court Square Theater
44-02 23rd St, Long Island City


Rory Duffy is an award winning documentary filmmaker, and adjunct professor of United States history at City College of New York. As an actor, Rory has had recurring roles on Blue Bloods, Law and Order SVU, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. His masters thesis on the John F. Kennedy Administration won the Judith Stein Prize in Political Economy. On stage and screen, he has worked with director Hal Hartley, Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

His production company Maci Duffy Productions, which he co-runs with his wife Hyun Joo Lee, produces films with a concentration on history, politics, and art.

Rory Duffy

A young man with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue button-up shirt, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.