Featured Member: To Them That’s Gone

To Them That’s Gone is a film documenting an extraordinary apolitical memorial to over 4,000 soldiers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Run for the Fallen was founded by Jon Bellona in honor of his college friend and roommate, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, who was killed in Iraq in 2005. In the summer of 2008, the film crew of To Them That’s Gone followed Run for the Fallen’s small group of civilians as they ran in remembrance of the American servicemen and women killed in Iraq, from Fort Irwin, California, to Virginia’s Arlington National Cemetery. At every mile they placed an American flag and a biographical card honoring one of the fallen until all had been recognized.

Unquestionably, it takes drive and dedication to complete such a run, and filming the ten-week cross-country journey was no less challenging. The filmmakers are now in the post-production phase, editing To Them That’s Gone in preparation for release next year. Producer/director Rolando Garcia takes us on the journey…

Rolando, please tell us about how this film came to be made. How did it get started?

John McKay and William Gardiner (Producers) were friends and classmates of Jon Bellona, founder of Run for the Fallen, and 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, at Hamilton College. John’s brother, Andrew (Producer), also went to Hamilton, and has been working in the film industry for years. The idea to document the Run just made sense. Andrew and I were working at Miramax and he knew I was leaving my position in marketing to pursue filmmaking, so he brought me on board.

The catch was that this idea came up in mid-March, 2008: less than three months before we’d have to hit the road. We had no money, no equipment and no crew. All we had was a deadline and blind faith that we’d make it. It really required pooling all our resources: Will’s wife helped us find a cinematographer, I found us a pro-bono lawyer and a PA, John took a leave of absence from work, Andrew poured over the paperwork. Our families deserve huge thanks, too, for giving us that initial funding.

What stages of the film’s making have been the most challenging — physically, mentally, financially, or in some other way?

Production was physically grueling. Over 72 days on the road filming, without a single day off. That takes its mental toll. I think it was really helpful that we had two of us on the road (John & Will) and two of us back in NYC (Andrew & me) — we were able to take a lot of the logistical burden off their shoulders. Also, having two experiences of the Run — actually being there and watching the footage as it came in — helped the filming creatively.

But I’d say the most challenging stage is the one we’re in right now: post-production. It’s a much bigger challenge than we anticipated on all fronts. We are building the structure and the narrative. We have a lot of hours of footage to catalog and then a lot of hard decisions to make as we cut it all down into a 1-1/2 hour documentary. That can be daunting at times but we’re moving forward and I’m proud of that.

The one challenge we did not see coming was the financing for post-production. We thought we would not really need much. However, when faced with the task, we realized we do need to pay for staff to work on it full time, otherwise it will never get done. That’s probably the biggest hurdle we’re trying to overcome right now.

When and where do you expect it to be released?

Assuming we have full financing within the next few months, we expect to be doing the film festival circuit around this time next year.

As a filmmaker, who/what are your biggest influences?

I love films about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. The more epic the situation they are thrown into, the better! In so many ways that’s what To Them That’s Gone is. These are young people, just out of college and by no means athletes; just regular everyday people. Yet they undertook an extraordinary task they believed in. And how much more epic do you get than crossing the entire country on foot? Unbelievable. You can’t even script that.

As far as filmmakers go: Alfred Hitchcock, no question. He’s the master of stacking the deck against his protagonists and keeping you on the edge of your seat: Will they get out of this one? How? No one else can tell a story as visually as he could, either. Well, maybe Sergio Leone.

What do you hope your audiences bring to To Them That’s Gone? What do you hope they take away?

I hope the audiences come in with an open mind. This isn’t about politics and it’s not about where you stand on the reasons for the war.

I hope they take away two things. First and foremost, an appreciation for the people who have given and continue to give their lives for this country. The service members who lost their lives are as diverse as all of us but, at the same time, we’re alike in that we all have dreams and aspirations. We want the audience to connect with them on that level. Second, I hope people leave with some solace. We’ve all lost people we love. This is the story of people who have taken that loss and channeled their feelings into something positive. It’s a lesson I have tried to incorporate into my own life since I got involved with this story and I hope others do, too.

What motivated you to become a Fractured Atlas member?

I met Juliana Steele at an IFP event. She told me about Fractured Atlas and the fiscal sponsorship program. We were looking at our options and what stood out to me was the wealth of information Fractured Atlas provided. I have learned a great deal reading through all you have available. I could tell right away that you’re an organization that does things right and does them well, without cutting corners. I appreciate that because it gives me comfort of mind.

I was also drawn to the fact that Fractured Atlas isn’t primarily a film organization, but supports a wide variety of artists. As a filmmaker, I draw inspiration from all media, so I like being part of a greater community. Those experiences add up and make me better at my specific craft.

Is there a piece of advice that you have received along the way — either making this film, or in life in general — that has proven valuable and stuck with you?

Perseverance is everything. No matter how talented or lucky you are, you will fall. You have to get back up, over and over and over again, or you’ll never cross that finish line. And do it with a smile on your face.

Is there any advice that you would give to a documentary filmmaker at the start of their career?

See above!

What’s next on your professional horizon?

I’d like to get back to fictional narrative films. Whenever I can find a sliver a free time, I squeeze in some writing. I try to keep the scope small, keeping in mind production limitations at this point in my career. After all, I don’t want to sell scripts, I want to make them. But the priority is getting To Them That’s Gone done and out there for people to see.

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Learn more about “To Them That’s Gone” on the film’s website: http://www.tothemthatsgone.com

All images copyright Film for the Fallen LLC, 2009.