Even though I had left school years ago, as summer transmuted into Autumn and leaves begin to turn, this time of year used to always fill me with that 'back to school' feeling. But since the horrific and tragic events of 9/11, at this time of year my thoughts turn to those who passed and those who lost loved ones at that time. Even though I am not an American, this event left a scar in the heart of the world, one which Nic's movie World Trade Center acknowledges with sincerity and somehow transforms the disbelief and the incomprehension of that event into a faith in the human spirit... and miracles.

Here are some Nicolas Cage quotations on the film World Trade Center and the events of 9/11, from a 2006 'In Conversation With Charlie Rose' interview on World Trade Center 

On how the role came to him:

Very simply, I was, for about 6 months, trying to figure out a way to apply my talents to something that would be literally healing and all that that means in the big sense, something where you could actually help people, somehow. And I'd made a lot of genre picture that would be healing in regard to it would help you take your mind off your problems, but this was more immediate, more direct, literally dressing an open wound in the psyche of our country. And I'd been thinking about this, how can I do that and within six months, like an answer to my prayers Oliver [Stone, the director] called and had the script to World Trade Center. And I read it and within 24 hours I said yes, I knew right away that this was the answer. I hadn't seen the script and didn't know about the movie, but I had been thinking about this, very CLEARLY, and I had no doubt, the spirit with which we were going to make the movie.

On how he sees the movie:

I think it's a positive film, it's about encouragement, that's where it's cathartic, these people are real people, real heroes, who sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others on 9/11, and they survived. I think that is encouraging and healing. 

I don't see this movie as entertainment. I see it as story telling which depicts history. Having said that, I have to go down the red carpet tonight and there will be entertainment based shows there. I am going there in solidarity with John Mcloughlin and all the other men who were on first response, who risked their lives on 9/11 and I'm doing that for solidarity.

On portraying John McLoughlin:

I did go to Ground Zero with John Mcloughlin and I looked at all the letters from the kids to the departed and I would think about them as I was going within and I would think about 'God, is there any way we can metaphorically answer these letters?' and that is when I would stay on track and stay focussed and say, ok, this is World Trade Center, let's show what these men went through, let's show how they loved their families.

I asked John,  is there anything I can do? we're shooting the movie, it's happening, is there anything you want me to do, that I can convey on your behalf ? and he said, I just want you to express how thankful I am, please get it across how thankful I am to all these men..who sacrificed their lives to save them, he just couldn't stop saying how thankful he was.

On his experience in the movie:

I had an incredible experience making the movie, in 25 years I have to say this has never happened before, they're the real guys, Scott Fox came in and he was acting with me, but the way he was acting, which is the way any great actor wants to get to some truth, he was recalling the day, and I felt an electric current coming out of this man as he was touching me and talking to me, he was saying, "John you're ok, hang in there John" and I was like ''woah, I'm in a room with angels''. That's what it felt like, these angels exist in people. It was incredible and in a way you could say it changed my life. In the belief that people care that much.

For the whole amazing interview click here!