Jules and Gédéon Naudet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jules and Gédéon Naudet
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Gédéon Naudet (left) and Jules Naudet (right), posing with their Peabody Award, May 2003
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| Born | Jules Clément Naudet April 1973 (age 52) Thomas Gédéon Naudet March 1970 (age 55) Paris, France
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| Occupation | Filmmakers |
| Known for | 9/11 documentary |
Jules Clément Naudet (born in April 1973) and Thomas Gédéon Naudet (born in March 1970) are brothers who are French-American filmmakers. They moved to the United States in 1989 and became citizens in 1999. On September 11, 2001, they were in New York City making a documentary about firefighters.
Jules Naudet filmed a very important moment: the first airplane, American Airlines Flight 11, hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This happened while he was with firefighters investigating a gas leak. The video he took in 2001 became part of their famous 2002 documentary called 9/11. The camera Jules used is now on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jules and Gédéon Naudet moved to New York City from Paris, France, when they were teenagers. Their parents are Jean-Jacques and Shiva Naudet. Both brothers went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. They graduated from there in 1995. For a while, they even shared one ID card to save money on tuition! In 1999, the Naudet brothers officially became American citizens.
Filmmaking Career
The Naudet brothers started their filmmaking journey by telling real-life stories.
First Films
In 2000, Gédéon and Jules released their first film, Hope, Gloves and Redemption. This movie was about young boxers training in the Bronx and East Harlem neighborhoods of New York. It also showed parts of a boxing tournament called the New York Daily News Golden Gloves from 1998.
The 9/11 Documentary
In 2001, the Naudet brothers were working on a documentary about the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). They were following a new firefighter, Antonios "Tony" Benetatos, as he learned the ropes.
On the morning of September 11, Jules went with some firefighters to check on a gas leak in Lower Manhattan. Gédéon stayed at the firehouse to film with Benetatos. While Jules was on the street, American Airlines Flight 11 flew right over him. He filmed it as it crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 AM. Only two other people also filmed this first impact.
Jules then went inside the North Tower with the firefighters. He filmed the fire chiefs setting up their command post. He also filmed people leaving the building and the firefighters' reactions to what was happening. This included when United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. He filmed debris and people trying to escape from the upper floors. When the South Tower began to collapse, Jules found shelter with Battalion Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer and other firefighters. He used his camera's light to help them find injured people as they left the North Tower.
Meanwhile, Gédéon was filming Benetatos at the firehouse. Worried about Jules, Gédéon went out into the streets. He filmed people's reactions and the damage from falling debris. He also managed to film Flight 175 hitting the South Tower. He later returned to the firehouse and filmed more firefighters arriving.
When the North Tower collapsed, both brothers had to run for safety. Jules and Chief Pfeifer found shelter between two cars. Gédéon helped an FBI agent carry an injured person. Later, Jules and Gédéon had an emotional reunion at the firehouse.
The Naudet brothers' video footage became some of the most important recordings of the 9/11 attacks. Their film was one of the only two videos showing Flight 11 hitting the World Trade Center.
Later Projects
After 9/11, the Naudet brothers continued to make documentaries.
- In 2004, they made Seamus, a story about growing up.
- They produced In God's Name, which explored ideas from twelve different spiritual leaders around the world. This film was shown in the United States in December 2007. A book with interviews from the film was also published.
- Their documentary The Presidents' Gatekeepers was shown in September 2013. It featured interviews with all living White House chiefs of staff and two former presidents, Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush.
- In June 2018, they released November 13: Attack on Paris on Netflix. This documentary included interviews about the November 2015 Paris attacks.
- They also produced and directed The Spymasters: CIA In the Crosshairs. This film included interviews with all living directors of central intelligence. It first aired in November 2015.
- In 2022, they released January 6th on Discovery+. This documentary featured interviews about the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Personal Lives
Jules Naudet is married to Jacqueline Longa. They have two children. Gédéon Naudet is married to Aude C. and also has two children.
