_Inheritance

In December 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight 103, causing the plane to crash in Lockerbie, Scotland. All 259 people on board were killed, including David Dornstein, a young man from Philadelphia. David’s brother Ken spent years collecting evidence about the crash, and in 2015 produced the FRONTLINE miniseries My Brother’s Bomber. Inheritance, an interactive partner project, offers users an intimate look at the brothers’ relationship and the emotional aftermath of the crash.

Michelle Mizner, the writer and producer of the project, spent hours interviewing Ken Dornstein about his collection of objects related to David’s life and death. The Inheritance team then selected ten items representing important memories of Ken’s relationship with David. These include David’s journals and photographs, as well as mementos from Ken’s visits to Lockerbie. Accompanied by Ken’s narration, users can follow a linear narrative through the collection or simply select an object that piques their interest. Inheritance is a beautiful and moving meditation on loss, as well as an intuitive and deeply personal example of interactive storytelling.