If you haven't seen Come From Away, the musical, you can learn the story from the people who inspired the musical in the documentary You Are Here: A Come From Away Story.
The musical tells the story of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil. The documentary takes us to Gander.
We meet the real Beverley Bass, the mayor of Gander. The food spreads we heard about: we get to see the food.
The documentary takes us through the experience day by day. We see the joys and sorrows of the non-Canadians whose lives were turned upside down.
You really get a good sense of what the townsfolk in Gander went through without warning to give back to the sudden additions to the community.
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We also get to see the Gander people come to New York City for the musical on Broadway. There we saw the lasting friendships between the people in Newfoundland and those who came from away.
While the musical format appeals to a wide audience, the documentary gives you the ups and downs of the real story. Watch the musical if you can, then watch the documentary.
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The documentary has been available in Canada for some time. There were special screenings in major cities in the United States on September 11. Hoping the documentary gets significant U.S. distribution so Americans can finally learn this amazing story of kindness at a very dark time.
video credit: YouTube/MDFproductionsINC
photo credit: You Are Here: A Come From Away Story film
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