1/1: The two faces of fear. 11S

A few weeks after the attack on the Twin Towers, ground zero in New York became a small amusement park; thousands of sensations were mixed among the people. Everything between fear, despair and disbelief. Among the crowd this man in the foreground: young, with a suit, yellow tie, briefcase... and a single-use compact camera. Three weeks had passed since 9/11, the man approached ground zero every day to photograph the enormous void that had remained; I was in a state of shock…after taking the photo I approached him and asked him about it. With a totally lost look and a serenity that was not normal, he told me his story. He worked on the 28th floor of the WTC. That day - as fate would have it - he should have had a meeting first thing in the morning in his office, but it was canceled last minute…he arrived at the office later, or rather, he never arrived… the building collapsed and all his co-workers lost their lives. His lost gaze is barely noticeable, but the expression of the man in the background was a true reflection of his feelings, the feelings of all New Yorkers. I will never forget his face and his story. I thought to myself how therapeutic photography is. I still think so.