Recommended for Memorial Day Weekend (Perhaps after the PBS Concert!) when Film will be Supported by PR Campaign
A DVD of the 90-Minute Program Is in the Mail
Dear colleague:
“AMERICANS AT THEIR BEST…MARVELOUSLY UPLIFTING!” Robert MacNeil
Oregon Public Broadcasting and NETA are proud to present Fighting For Life, a tribute to American’s heroic soldiers and medics both on and off the battlefield—and to the previously unknown “West Point” of military medicine, USU. Produced and directed by two-time Academy Award-Winning Terry Sanders, who had extraordinary access to combat hospitals in Iraq, medevac flights and military hospitals in Germany and the U.S., the film has garnered widespread praise, such as this quote from the WASHINGTON POST: “Unforgettable. Essential viewing” (Ann Hornaday).
This real-life “MASH” weaves together scenes from the frontlines, with stories of the injured—and the doctors, nurses and medical students heroically attempting to heal them. Fighting For Life introduces most Americans to USU in Bethesda, MD, a facility dubbed by its students as “the best medical school no one’s ever heard of.” From the opening scenes rushing a soldier on a stretcher to a Combat Support Hospital to the heartwarming story of 21 year old Army Specialist Crystal Davies as she fights to “bounce back” from the loss of her leg, to Bruce Springsteen’s haunting elegy of compassion, “No Surrender,” in the poignant last scene, this gripping portrait of American military medicine and heroism is highly recommended for your Memorial Weekend schedules in May.
In his “director’s statement,” acclaimed Terry Sanders summarizes his vision of the film: “Fighting For Life is a portrait of the compassion, skill, dedication and bravery of the military doctors and nurses, and the courage, dignity and determination of the wounded to survive, to heal…It is also a meditation on war, and a call…to never forget the wounded, to commit ourselves to their support now, tomorrow, and far into the future.” The documentary contains graphic images (see attached fact sheet and/or NETA offer). Look for the NETA feeds on April 26, 2009, 1900-2030 ET/SD07 and April 28, 2009, 1430-1600 ET/HD03.
Donna Hardwick, On & On PR, is supporting Memorial Weekend scheduling of Fighting For Life with a national and targeted PR & promotion campaign. The promotion & outreach components include:
· Promotional spots, posters, EPKs and press kits.
· A dedicated, interactive website.
· You-Tube, internet blogs.
· Direct outreach to professional organizations, military hospitals and veterans groups.
Fighting For Life is accompanied by a DVD. Beginning May 25, 2009, the Home Video DVD will be available to order on the website: www.fightingforlifethemovie.com.
Fighting For Life is produced and directed by Academy Award-Winning Terry Sanders. The 90-minute special is a production of American Film Foundation and Sanders & Mock Productions. Presented by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and distributed by NETA, it includes Bruce Springsteen’s “No Surrender.” Major funding is provided by Health Net Federal Services, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, ITT Corporation and Northrop Grumman Foundation. Additional Grants are from BAE Systems, Humana Military Healthcare Services, Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Frederic G. Sanford, RADM, MC USN (Ret.) and USU Surgical Associates. And the Support of the Many Members of the Friends of USU. Local underwriting is permitted.
Please contact me if you have questions. I’ll be in touch with you about your carriage plans during the next months. A fact sheet follows.
A tribute to American’s heroic military doctors, nurses both on and off the battlefield—and to the generally unknown “West Point” of military medicine, USU. The filmmakers had extraordinary access to combat support hospitals in Iraq, medevac flights with wounded soldiers, and military hospitals in Germany and the U.S., and it shows in every scene of this gripping portrait of American military medicine.
Length:
1/90
Rights:
Broadcast: Unlimited/2 Years
May 1, 2009-April 30, 2011
VOD: 30 Days
Non-Commercial Cable: Yes
School Record: 1 Year
Video:
Filmed in HD
SD & HD
NOLA Codes:
FFLF 0K1
FFLF 0H1
Feeds:
SD Feed: Sunday, April 26, 2009, 1900-2030 et/SD 07
HD Feed: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 1430-1600 et/HD 03
*Feed-for-Record*
Audio/Visual:
Stereo
Closed Captioned
V-Chip Rating:
TV-14
Flags:
3:15 cadavers (first year medical students getting hands-on experience identifying parts of the human body.
9:01 wounded soldier, injury resulting from an improvised explosive device (IED) in the battlefield.
10:10 surgery in progress, adult male (graphic) 10:18 child with blast injury being attended to by physicians (graphic).
10:50 bandaged soldier (graphic).
11:02 –11:18 open wound on soldier undergoing surgery, bleeding (graphic) 12:01 soldier with wounded hand (graphic)
12:13-12:37 soldier with wounded hand, shows missing digit (graphic) 23:04 patient with injuries, trauma to extremity (graphic), IED.
25:39: solder describing how he was hit, use of curse word “fucking” in description of his encounter with IED (audio edit).
26:33 bleeding wound (graphic).
27:09 removal of foreign object (from open wound) during surgery (graphic).
27:15 gaping wound in lower extremity (during surgery) with muscle tissue visible (graphic).
36:06 historic archive photos of Civil War soldiers, wounded and bandaged, deceased and at
36:53, amputated body extremities (feet, legs, etc.).
38:04-39:08 injured child (3 ½ year old boy), burn/blast victim.
40:00-41:00 Iraqi soldiers begging caregiver to kill him (soldier was shot in the spinal cord and paralyzed).
44:46 research on Anthrax and display of large number of dead mice.
47:19-51:00 Bushmaster Field Exercises, simulating injuries/wounds physicians in the battlefield might encounter (graphic and life-like depictions of various injuries).
53:17 soldier (patient) missing lower extremity due to battlefield injury (foot missing) 54:42 soldier explaining how she was injured, uses “shit” in the description of her encounter with IED. (audio edit).
58:18 soldier undergoing surgery, gaping leg wound to lower extremity (leg) with muscle tissue and bone visible, IED injury 01:00:00 general images of post-surgery battlefield injuries on soldiers in rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Medical Center facility, in Washington, D.C.
01:02:06 soldier with wounded hand, post surgery.
01:04:21 soldier showing post surgery injuries to both legs.
01:06 soldier giving graphic description of injury, IED 01:07:07 patients (soldiers) with missing legs/limbs, arms, feed, etc. in physical therapy and rehabilitation.
01:08:54 image of soldier’s arm, post surgery, where hand would have been
01:11:00 image soldier’s leg (foot missing), post surgery.
Producer:
Producer/director two-time Academy Award-Winning Terry Sanders
A production of American Film Foundation & Sanders & Mock Productions
Presenter:
OPB
Distributor:
NETA
Underwriters:
Major funding:
Health Net Federal Services, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, ITT Corporation and Northrop Grumman Foundation.
Additional Grants:
BAE Systems, Humana Military Healthcare Services, Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Frederic G. Sanford, RADM, MC USN (Ret.) and USU Surgical Associates.
And the Support of the Many Members of the Friends of USU.
“They are all heroes!” - Tom Hanks, Interview in ROLLING STONE
“Americans at their Best….Marvelously Uplifting!”Robert MacNeil
“Unforgettable. Essential viewing,” (Ann Hornaday in WASHINGTON POST).
National Promotion & Outreach:
Donna Hardwick, On & On PR, is supporting Memorial Weekend scheduling of Fighting For Life with a national and targeted PR & promotion campaign. The promotion & outreach components include:
· Promotional spots, posters, EPKs and press kits.
· A dedicated, interactive website.You-Tube, internet blogs.
· Direct outreach to professional organizations, military hospitals and veterans groups.
Fighting For Life
R Eisenberg Presents, Inc.
