From Baghdad to Beijing, Warrior Champions tells the emotional and inspiring story of a group of severely wounded American Soldiers, as they fight to turn nightmares of war into Olympic dreams. Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans Kortney Clemons, Scott Winkler, Melissa Stockwell, and Carlos Leon set out to do what many thought impossible; to compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
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Though at times heart wrenching, Warrior Champions is not a sad tale of the tragedy of war, but rather an uplifting testament to the human spirit that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to be disabled.
There are really two types of wounded warrior films that people submit to the GI Film Festival. The first category exploits the experiences of injured veterans to make a political statement about war. (Perhaps the most obvious example of this category is a film we received in our first year- but did not screen – which splashed a running tally of dead and injured veterans from “Bush’s War” at the bottom of the screen. Others are a bit more subtle, but no less cynical.) The second category, while pulling no punches with respect to the brutal consequences of war, takes a different approach. These films focus on the inspirational stories of wounded warriors overcoming their disabilities to accomplish unbelievable feats. Warrior Champions exemplifies the very best in this latter category.
Exceptionally crafted by brothers Craig and Brent Renaud (the filmmakers behind the award-winning Off to War) Warrior Champions introduces us to three remarkable GIs who aspire to be the first disabled Iraq War veterans to make the Paralympic Games in Beijing.
You think you’ve rooted for American athletes before? Watch this film and you’ll find a whole new level of national pride. Do they make the team and medal? You’ll have to watch to see.
Spending time with wounded warriors — whether visiting Walter Reed, or coming to Wounded Warrior Appreciation Night at the festival, or watching a great film about their experiences — can be transformative.
For example, last year, after the festival, we were contacted by a top Hollywood producer who had attended our event. (Name withheld to protect his career.) This producer said that he and his wife could not sleep for three nights after meeting a group of wounded warriors at the festival because they were consumed with finding a way to help them.
They came expecting to screen a film. They left realizing they just had a life-changing experience. This happens with some frequency at the GI Film Festival.
Don’t miss this chance to be entertained and inspired. Come see Warrior Champions. It will screen Saturday, May 15th at 12:15 pm, Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC.
Click here to buy tickets to this film. The GI Film Festival is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization and the only festival in the nation to honor the men and women in uniform. It runs from 11-16 May 2010 in Washington DC. If you can’t make it, consider sending a soldier in your place.
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