Tower First Hand Accounts of the University of Texas' 1966 Shooting
August 1st 1966 was the day our innocence was shattered. A sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the iconic University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes in what was a previously unimaginable event.
TOWER combines archival footage with rotoscopic animation of the dramatic day, based entirely on first person testimonies from witnesses, heroes and survivors, in a seamless and suspenseful retelling of the unfolding tragedy. The film highlights the fear, confusion, and visceral realities that changed the lives of those present, and the rest of us, forever - a day when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
Winner, Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the SXSW Film Festival
New York Times Critics' Pick - "Ingenious. The animation gives Mr. Maitland a lot of creative freedom, allowing him to take Expressionistic leaps." -Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"Boldly imaginative ... 'TOWER' plays like a historical Hitchcock film about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. [A] true-crime thriller that's enriched by a rare depth of inner experience. The effect is as much intellectual as emotional." -Richard Brody, The New Yorker
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Comments (9)
Beautifully crafted film. I was really moved during the part when Claire Wilson James talks about her love with the late Thomas Eckman and the animation transitions to color. Also, just knowing about the bravery of Rita Starpattern enriches me.
I'd heard about the UT shooting and, I remember it from my childhood but didn't know the details. Incredibly moving. The animation fit the narrative so well even though the story was achingly tragic. The feelings of guilt by some of the heroes were so touching. The teenager who thought he ...Read more
I'd heard about the UT shooting and, I remember it from my childhood but didn't know the details. Incredibly moving. The animation fit the narrative so well even though the story was achingly tragic. The feelings of guilt by some of the heroes were so touching. The teenager who thought he could've done more, for example. This film will stay with me a very long time.
Read lessVery touching and sometimes it felt like a horror movie, especially with the real footage. I just hope this is the last documentary about a mass shooting.
surreal...gruelling...time travel.. genius..sadly will be made over and over just different American cities.
I was skeptical and reluctant to watch this. Animation, from anime to cartoons, simply never interested me. Well, I stand corrected. The use of this particular style of animation enhanced the story and approached this difficult subject in a uniquely deep way. Bravo to all those involved ...Read more
I was skeptical and reluctant to watch this. Animation, from anime to cartoons, simply never interested me. Well, I stand corrected. The use of this particular style of animation enhanced the story and approached this difficult subject in a uniquely deep way. Bravo to all those involved in the production.
Read lessSuch a moving story told in such a beautiful way. The animation is fantastic. Documentary storytelling at it's best!
Absolutely superb and riveting. This is the finest DocuDrama I've ever seen. As Anna and Olivia have already stated, I really like that the emphases was put on the victims and all those who "stepped up" as well as those folks who admitted that they were too terrified to try and do something. ...Read more
Absolutely superb and riveting. This is the finest DocuDrama I've ever seen. As Anna and Olivia have already stated, I really like that the emphases was put on the victims and all those who "stepped up" as well as those folks who admitted that they were too terrified to try and do something. No shame in that and it's how MOST people are going to react under these circumstances.
Read lessIncredible approach to storytelling with the use of rotoscopic animation. Filmmaker Keith Maitland effectively navigates the seriousness of school shootings and trauma by allowing the audience to dive deeply into the perspectives of survivors, heroes, and even bystanders. The delicate editing ...Read more
Incredible approach to storytelling with the use of rotoscopic animation. Filmmaker Keith Maitland effectively navigates the seriousness of school shootings and trauma by allowing the audience to dive deeply into the perspectives of survivors, heroes, and even bystanders. The delicate editing and use of reenactments keeps you engaged and at the edge of your seat the entire time.
Read lessPossibly one of the best documentaries I have watched in a long time. Using a clever montage of real footage, edgy animation and interviews, the story of the shooting is told from the perspectives of the survivors - something that became a process of healing for many.