George Pataki to release Ground Zero rebuilding documentary

Former New York Governor George Pataki is releasing a new documentary titled ‘Out of the Darkness’ to chronicle the rebuilding of Ground Zero. Funded by his Albany-based nonprofit, the George Pataki Center, the film traces the transformation of the sixteen-acre site in Lower Manhattan from a zone of devastation into a memorial complex and commercial center.

Pataki, who led the state during the September 11 attacks, described the event as a terrorist attack carried out by radical Islamists intended to instill fear. The documentary aims to serve as a historical record as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the attacks. It will be available for free screening on the center’s website following its Thursday premiere.

Additionally, billionaire John Catsimatidis, owner of the Gristedes supermarket chain, will present Pataki with ‘The Leadership Crisis Award’ at an upcoming memorial gala to recognize his stewardship during and after the attacks.