by guest contributor Janet Staihar
Photo credit: Michael Bennett Kress Photography
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to make these two films.”
These words were emotionally spoken by Captain Phillips and United 93 film director Paul Greengrass as he addressed 9/11 families and the “real” Captain Phillips at the America Abroad Media tribute dinner.
Dan Cogan of Impact Partners, Paul Greengrass, Geralyn Dreyfous of Impact Partners, Reema Khan, Turki Aldakhil and AAM founder and president Aaron Lobel
United 93 told the story of passengers and crew aboard the fatal flight as terrorists took over. Captain Phillips is the harrowing story of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama boarded by Somali pirates. Tom Hanks played Captain Phillips in the movie.
“In the end, it’s the relationships with these men and women that are humbling for me as a filmmaker and if the films tell the story that they recognize, then on behalf of the men and women who have worked on those films, I thank them for their grace and their sacrifice,” Greengrass said.
Capt. Richard Phillips and his wife, Paul Greengrass, Joanna Kaye, Aaron Lobel and his wife Esin, Reema Khan and husband Tariq Shahab
He was near tears as he spoke from the stage at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in D.C.
Capt. Richard Phillips spent the evening chatting with many of the 400 dinner attendees who couldn’t believe the actual Captain Phillips was really among them. “Really?” was the common response from journalists when informed who the cool laid-back guy was.
Amb. Walter Cutler, Captain Phillips, Didi Cutler and Paul Greengrass
Gordon Felt, president of The Families of Flight 93 and whose brother was on the airplane, said of Greengrass:
“You have an extraordinary ability to bring to life to the lens and camera, events that have deeply impacted too many.” United 93 was headed for more catastrophic destruction in Washington D.C. when passengers fought for control with the terrorists in the cockpit. It crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Paul Greengrass and families of 9/11
AAM Founder and President Aaron Lobel also presented outstanding awards to:
Saudi journalist and television host Turki Aldakhil. He contributed to the establishment of Al Arabiya News and was named as one of Arabian Business’ 100 Most Powerful Arabs of 2014.
Impact Partners led by Executive Director Dan Cogan. Impact Partners brings together financiers and filmmakers so that, together, they can create powerful films that entertain audiences, enrich lives and ignite social change.
Actress Reema Khan
Pakistani actress Reema Khan received AAM’s 2014 Partner Award for her role in AAM’s series: Reema Khan’s America. The series follows Reema as she sets out to discover her new country through the eyes of the average Pakistani, testing her preconceptions about life in the United States and exploring what it means to be an American.
Reema Khan (C) with friends
AAM promotes the free exchange of ideas through the development and dissemination of seminal television and radio programming, from South Asia to the Middle East and Africa.
The evening included with a performance by the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize nominated Civilizations Choir of Antakya, Turkey. The choir is composed of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish members who are priests, imams, nuns, teachers, students and seniors
United 93 Trailer:
Captain Phillips Trailer:
