The Outsider

9/11 is a world of questions

2021 · Documentary

Michael Shulan was once a struggling novelist who owned a storefront space down in NYC's trendy Soho neighborhood. The attacks on the World Trade Center changed his life forever. He & three friends turned his Spring Street space into a now-famous crowdsourced photo exhibit called "Here Is New York." For five years, he was known as the world's leading expert on 9/11 photography. Then, the lifelong outsider was invited to be part of something big. Shulan was named the Creative Director of the National 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero. This is the story of his dream job and how it turned against him. His vision of an open, inclusive, participatory place for America to engage in the painful, personal story of 9/11 goes wrong. His role as creative leader turns into a daily battle to keep his vision alive.

Directed by Pamela Yoder