The Woman Who Wasn’t There
The Woman Who Wasn’t There tells the extraordinary story of Tania Head, one of the most audacious impostors in recent history. It recounts how Head fabricated an elaborate tale of survival from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Despite never having been in the Twin Towers that day, Head claimed to have escaped from the 78th floor of the South Tower with severe burns and a nearly severed arm.
Head’s intricate web of lies included a fictional fiancé who was said to have died in the North Tower, as well as vivid details of her supposed escape, including being led to safety by Welles Crowther, the real-life ‘man in the red bandana’ who saved many lives that day. Her story was so compelling that she became a prominent figure in the 9/11 survivors’ community, eventually becoming president of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network.
Head, whose real name is Alicia Esteve Head, was in fact in Barcelona on September 11, 2001, enrolled at a business school. The documentary follows her rise within the survivors’ community through the unique perspective of filmmaker Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr., whom Head had invited to document the work of the Survivors’ Network. Guglielmo filmed extensive interviews with Head while she was still presenting herself as a survivor, capturing her account before the truth about her past emerged.
As Head’s profile grew, so did scrutiny of her claims. This culminated in a 2007 New York Times investigation that revealed the truth. With access to Head’s own interviews and members of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network, the film follows the unraveling of her story and the reactions of those closest to her, exploring the repercussions of her deception and the mystery of why she created such an elaborate false identity.
