Why THE FIGHT TO FIGHT Is an Independent Film
From day one, the guiding principle of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film has been to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of the exceptional women who integrated the U.S. military’s combat arms.
However, in a surprising twist, our film has been swept up in troubling decisions coming out of the Department of Defense (DoD). Chief among these is the firing of women from positions of command in all branches of the military and purging publicly available content the DoD believes is related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
One effect of these decisions is the erasure of official stories about women’s integration of ground combat roles from the public record. Fortunately, our team has archived a great deal of the purged material.
Due to these recent events, our film team finds itself in the midst of capturing something urgent and timely. This has inspired us to shift gears in our storytelling. Beyond just focusing on the barriers that were overcome to open combat arms to women, we are also examining how precarious the hard-fought integration policy may be.
While we have always been sensitive to the pressures and privacy of participants in the film, our diligence is even more important today. Direct threats to free speech toward women serving in the military are occurring at an alarming scale, according to our sources. Several of our film’s participants report having been thrust into the middle of the DoD’s “culture war,” and are concerned that telling their stories might put themselves, their families, and their careers at risk.
Over the Hump and Looking Ahead
I recently traveled to the Washington, D.C. area with a talented film crew, where we shot four key interviews and scenes. (See photos and captions for details, at right.) With this footage in the can, most of the significant elements of the film have been shot. This is a major milestone. We now feel we are over the production hump and have most of the material we need to finish the film.
Final shooting will take place across the summer, and then the post-production phase will begin. However, before the film is complete there is one big critical step we must take — the final round of fund raising.
Thanks to our first round of fund raising, we are able to cover the production costs for getting all of the footage needed to make our film. Our heartfelt thanks go out to those who have provided us with such incredible support. This includes the Pritzker Military Foundation and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, as well as the generous donations that came in from more than 100 individuals.
This financial support represents nearly half the budget we need to finish the film, and for that I am forever grateful.
Guarding Privacy and Protection
Our next round of fundraising, however, will be crucial for two important reasons: 1. To obtain sufficient funds to finish the film at a level of quality that ensures it will be seen by the widest possible audience; and 2. To ensure editorial control will not be relinquished in any way that weakens the agency of the filmmaking team to maintain the privacy and protection of the participants in the film, which is a commitment we have made.
It is essential in the current “culture war” climate that THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary is made as an independently funded film to ensure participants are portrayed truthfully and free from external influences that could distort their stories for dramatic effect. Companies that distribute or stream documentaries may request the right to tailor the tone, content or narrative arc of films they fund to suit their audiences, something we will never agree to.
Financial independence is also critical because we strongly believe the greatest value of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT lies in its ability to inform and inspire. When the time comes, any distribution agreement we reach will favor wider exposure over financial considerations.
Our financial goal in making THE FIGHT TO FIGHT is to pay all bills and commitments and then turn over profits (if any) to charitable organizations that support women in the military and women veterans.
Launching a Second Round of Fundraising
As mentioned, funds raised so far will be used to complete field production and enter the post-production phase. This is only about half of what will be required to finish the film.
While we have applied for additional grants from organizations that support films (several are pending), we now need to launch a second round of funding from foundations and individual donors to help us get over the post-production financial hump. This will ultimately enable us to pursue distributors and online platforms to get the film seen.
So, please consider recommending our documentary to any foundations you know or please make an individual donation. Individual donations are important right now because we have an offer to match these funds. Even if you have made a previous donation, a second donation at this time will be doubled and make a real difference.
Here’s how the matching funds offer works: All first-time donations qualify for matching funds, however second-time donations must exceed the previous amount to be matched. (To make a donation, please click the below button.)
Clearly, we won’t be able to succeed without you, our growing community of friends and supporters. Your help and donations inspire our dedicated film team and keep us going. With your help we will be able to deliver a high-quality, feature-length documentary film that not only celebrates the struggles and triumphs of the exceptional women who integrated the U.S. military’s combat arms, but also ensures their stories are preserved and not erased.
Joy Bronson served as a Naval Aviator from 1986 to 1993 and is the Director/Producer of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary feature film.
The Fight to Fight documentary feature film is at a pivotal stage and needs your support to reach completion. Donations are critical and greatly appreciated, however it is also helpful to sign up to receive our blog and pass on our website link to friends, family and colleagues who are veterans or who care about equality for women. Click here to donate and here to sign up for our blog.
Eyewitness View of Women Integrating Combat Units with Tom Bowman of NPR
NPR’s Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, shown being interviewed above, was part of a select group of journalists invited to witness a Marine Corp exercise at Twenty Nine Palms that compared all-male units to integrated units (males and females) in 2015. Bowman’s experiences over 28 years of covering the Pentagon also include being embedded in combat units in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Photo Courtesy of Michael Wilker
Will Thibeau of the Claremont Institute Makes the Case for Male-Only Combat Units
The traditional view of male-only combat units in the film is expressed by Will Thibeau, shown above, an Army veteran who served in the Ranger Regiment. The film crew interviewed Thibeau, a military analyst and commentator, at his office in the Claremont Institute, located in the heart of Washington, D.C.
Photo Courtesy of Michael Wilker
UVA Law Professor Anne Coughlin Makes the Legal Case for Integrating Combat Roles
On campus at the University of Virginia Law School, film director Joy Bronson (above left) prepares a scene with law professor Anne Coughlin (at right), who was instrumental in filing a lawsuit against the DoD to open up ground combat roles to women in 2012.
Photo Courtesy of Michael Wilker
Shooting an Interview in the Women’s Military Museum at Arlington National Cemetery
The film crew prepares to shoot an interview with a Gold Star father whose daughter is honored in the Women’s Military Museum and laid to rest among the rows of hallowed white headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.
Photo Courtesy of Joe Skorupa