A Letter from Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro
A Letter from Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro
Directors of BODY OF WAR with Tomas Young
Hi Friends,
Phil Donahue will be station-hopping in the coming days to promote the BODY OF WAR DVD release and the Sundance Channel national broadcast on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11th.
Phil is on Rachel Maddow TONIGHT at 9 p.m. EST on MSNBC.
He will be on CNN American Morning at 8 a.m. EST Nov. 10th.
He will be on O'Reilly at 8 p.m. EST Monday, Nov. 10th.
The DVD is HERE now: www.bodyofwar.com
Body of War premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last September 11, to unanimous praise. Richard Corliss of TIME called it "a superb documentary... almost unbearably moving," while THE TODAY SHOW’s Mike Celizic said "Body of War... is debuting to reviews that make liberal use of such adjectives as 'powerful,' 'riveting,' 'unforgettable' and 'wrenching.'" The WASHINGTON POST’s John Anderson called Body of War "Architecturally sound, emotionally ravaging... a ferocious film."
THE NEW YORK TIMES website described Body of War as a "heart-wrenching and yet deeply affirming story, both a testament to one man's enduring inner strength and a towering condemnation of a localized conflict."
Carina Chocano of the LA TIMES called the film "A powerful indictment of the tactical politics that led to the invasion and a heartbreaking account of one man's living with the aftermath."
Body of War was named "Best Documentary of 2007" by the National Board of Review (previous winners include An Inconvenient Truth and Bowling for Columbine). Tomas Young, the subject of Body of War executive produced and curated a companion album, Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran featuring songs from Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, Kimya Dawson and many others.
Nov. 11th (Veteran's Day) @ 7PM EST
National Broadcast of BODY OF WAR on Sundance Channel
Nov. 11th (Veteran's Day) @ 7PM EST
Special BODY OF WAR Screening in TORONTO at the Bloor CinemaPlease visit www.bodyofwartoronto.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
Nov. 15th @ 8:30PM ESTBODY OF WAR screens @ Museum of Natural History @ Margaret Mead Film Fest
We are in the midst of seismic change in the US and the world and we are ready for a new paradigm that includes peace, not war, as its central ideology. Body of War invites that paradigm by exposing the corrupt political forces that got us into an illegal war, as well as the hope and strength of spirit of Tomas Young, a young paralyzed soldier whose story of resilience has moved audiences to standing ovations across the country.
Body of War is more relevant now than ever.
Body of War will be broadcast nationally on November 11 (Veteran's Day) on the Sundance Channel.
Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro present Body of War in person at the Museum of Natural History in New York City at the Margaret Mead Film Festival on Nov. 15 at 8:30 p.m. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit:
http://www.amnh.org/programs/mead/2008/films/body-of-war.
To purchase the DVD and get more info, visit www.bodyofwar.com.
The story of Tomas Young is a microcosmic reflection of our country. We, as a country, were led into an immoral war. The entire Body of War team rejoices in our new President Obama's heroism in the face of that very war. Obama was a powerful force for peace during the escalating wars of the Bush years.
President Obama, we hope that you will lead our country and our world to peace.
Tomas Young signed up to go to war for a neatly scripted package of lies and the lies are exposed in Body of War.
Body of War will be given to every member of Congress as a warning sign for the future: Never Again will the American people be led to the brink of destruction by corrupt corporate puppets with no regard for humanity or democracy or true freedom. Body of War is an evergreen, relevant as long as there are bombs on the planet.
The hero of Body of War, Tomas Young, suffered a pulmonary embolism in May which left him in a medical coma. When he emerged from the coma, he had a long road ahead to recovery. His speech was severely compromised as were his arms and hands. It was uncertain if he would regain full brain functionality.
Tomas has been working hard on his recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He has physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy 5 days a week. His mental capacities are in top form. His brilliance, humor and sensitivity are all there. His speech and arm/hand movement are still compromised but he has come a long way, and in time, Tomas is confident he will recover fully. Best of all, Tomas is very happy.
When Eddie Vedder played Chicago, Tomas spent his first evening out of the rehab hospital. Vedder spent 20 minutes talking privately with Tomas before the show. Midway through the show, Tomas rolled onto the stage as Vedder played NO MORE, the original song written for Body of War. The audience rose to its feet as soon as Tomas was introduced. The audience stood in reverence during the song, then applauded wildly afterwards. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE called Vedder's No More and Tomas' appearance the highlight of the show. Tomas came alive in a way that night and has only gotten more energized since. He has been immersing himself in physical therapy, election coverage, movies, books and music.
Tomas has a girlfriend. He and Claudia have been going to see movies, concerts and, just recently, Tomas and Claudia attended the Obama victory party in Grant Park as VIP guests. It is an amazing punctuation mark on a journey that started when Bush sent Tomas to Iraq to get paralyzed for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Whatever clouds have followed Tomas Young, a silver lining has been emerging lately. And that alone is reason to celebrate.
Tomas said being there with Obama on the night of his victory "was amazing, just the simple fact that he was there accepting the presidency. This is reality now, it is not just dream.” Tomas had been an active supporter of Obama the day he launched his campaign for the nomination.
Tomas will be discharged on November 25 to return to Kansas City to resume physical therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City.
Yes We Can (Stop this War),
Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue
Directors/Producers, Body of War
Stay tuned for more Body of War events! Please visit us at www.bodyofwar.com and join us on Facebook and MySpace.
You can also follow Body of War at Ellen's Huffington Post Blog!