i'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with the Archive, so i thought i'd put out some info and solicit some advice.

Back in 2001 - when i was Directing "7 Days In September" it became clear to me that there were far more stories than i could fit in a feature documentary. It was also obvious that people who experienced 9/11, and who'd photographed it, were looking for a way to both share their experiences and know that the urge to record the events was a valid emotional response.

I can't explain why we took on with such devotion the job of cataloging, interviewing, fact checking, and storing hundreds of hours of stories and video. I would tell you it was for the film, but we continued to collect material long after the film was complete.

I guess i always imagined that my kids - and they're kids - would say one day "What was it like to be in New York on the day of and after 9/11" and i thought that a nuanced and human collection of sounds, video, and memories would be important.

Already history is melting the complex memories and emotions of the time down into simple log lines.

So now i have the honor, and responsibility, of shepherding the largest collection of non-news video from 9/11. More than 400 hrs. And the truth is i always imagined we'd donate it to the Smithsonian, or another appropriate institution, where it would live in some sort of digital, non-linear, shared experience. Maybe... a Creative Commons license that would allow students and artist to share the material.

And that's still my goal.

But the Archive is not owned by me - it's an asset of CameraPlanet. And CameraPlanet needs to address it's issues. So now i'm in the position of needing to find a buyer, investor, philanthropist, foundation, or corporation that wants to pick up this piece of history... and protect it for future generations. And in doing so, make peace with the Bank of America, who has been wonderful, but certainly would like to get paid what is owed them.

So there are lots of moving pieces.

And what i'm concerned about is that in the mix, this treasure gets turned into a piece of collateral that is auctioned to the highest bidder, rather than placed with the appropriate institution or individual.

I guess it's more like an adoption than a auction.

thoughts?