“January 6th” invites viewers to experience an up-close look at the historic 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.
The trailer for discovery+’s new documentary features interviews with members of Congress as well as exclusive accounts from police officers, first responders and those on the frontlines of the Jan. 6 attack for an in-depth, personal documentation of that day like we’ve never seen before.
Per the documentary’s logline, it is “an apolitical story of resilience and bravery” and “examines January 6th from the unique perspective of the heroes, first responders, and survivors of the attack.”
“January 6th” features D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and over 50 Senators, Representatives, staffers from both sides of the aisle and Capitol police officers as they relive their experiences of the attack and speak on how they had to shift from protecting the Capitol building to fighting for their lives. It is the only documentary for which the Capitol and Metropolitan Police Departments granted full access to their officers, according to discovery+.
The film also has first-hand testimony from several prominent political figures including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Susan Wild.
In an interview previewed in the trailer, Pelosi shares how “security pulled me right from the podium” of the House floor as the rioters shoved down the chamber. Rep. Kizinger, who was a member of the House select committee investigating the attack, along with Reps. Cheney and Raskin, said that he had his gun out on his desk to defend himself.
“‘January 6th’ is the complete story of the attack on the Capitol told by those who witnessed the chaos first-hand. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to tell the story of this unprecedented moment in history as a human event and without political bias,” said Emmy and Peabody winning directors Gédéon and Jules Naudet (“9/11,” “November 13: Attack on Paris,” “The Presidents Gatekeepers”) in a press release.
“We believe that in moments where the worst of humanity is on display, there will always be heroes who step up as shining examples of courage and selflessness in the face of tragedy,” their statement continued. “Our hope is that people come away from this film with a deep appreciation for the countless acts of bravery on display that day, both big and small.”
“As we approach the two-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the capitol, it feels more important than ever to share the definitive account of what took place that day from the people who were actually there,” noted Igal Svet, the VP of Documentaries at discovery+. “True to the spirit of their past work in films like 9/11 and November 13: Attack on Paris, Gédéon and Jules Naudet have taken an event that changed the course of history and turned the focus to the many acts of bravery and compassion amidst the chaos.”
For Propagate, the film’s executive producers are Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens. For discovery+, its executive producers are Igal Svet and Howard Swartz.
“January 6th” premieres on discovery+ Jan. 5th, 2022.
Watch the trailer in the video above.