“Body of War”
Host a Movie Watching Party!

“Superb documentary!
Almost unbearably moving.”
– Time Magazine

This September and October, join us, along with cultural pioneer Phil Donahue, for a Fall campaign around the acclaimed documentary “Body of War” — an intimate and transformational feature film he co-directed about the true face of war today.

Host a movie party in your home or a local screening to show this deeply moving film.  Let’s use these movie parties as an opportunity to make the work of peacebuilding a priority in our nation – raising awareness among our friends and communities to support key peacebuilding budget priorities during the election season. 

The film follows Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine – wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War is in part Tomas’s coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate

voice against the war.  Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it’s like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man.

The film also takes a bold political review of the build-up and rush to war. It is a soul stirring film and an important cautionary tale – and why we need to change course in our nation, away from violence, and towards more sustainable and healthy ways of dealing with conflict.

Sign-up to host a Movie Watching Party in your community. Spread the message of peace in conjunction with this moving film. More details coming soon. Read our Tips and Instructions on Hosting a Party.

“Impossible not to like… Remarkable”
– New York Times

“A vivid powerful window into a wounded vet‘s world” 
– Entertainment Weekly

“Don’t Miss!”
– Washington Post

SEE FILM TRAILER:

Body of War, a film by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to several standing ovations and acclaim.  It won Best Documentary from the prestigious National Board of Review and was nominated for Best Documentary from Producer’s Guild of America. Body of War was short-listed for an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.

PEACEBUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
Building Alternatives to War

As part of these Movie Parties, we will take actions to urge Congress to invest in critical conflict prevention and civilian protection funding. They represent relatively small investments that could save billions of dollars and thousands of lives by preventing crises from turning violent, stemming mass atrocities, and avoiding costly interventions — improving our government’s ability to mitigate conflict.

We are specifically pushing Congressional funding for:

• Conflict Stabilization Operations: $56 Million+ – This account funds the Civilian Response Corps and the new Conflict Stabilization Operations bureau, focusing on preventing deadly conflict in countries struggling with or at risk from conflict or civil strife.
• U.S. Institute of Peace: $39 million+ – USIP works to save lives, increase the government’s ability to deal with conflicts before they escalate, reduce government costs, and enhance our national security.
• Complex Crisis Fund: $50 million+ – This account provides much-needed, unprogrammed money for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to prevent and respond to emerging or unforeseen crises.

These aren’t a panacea, and no measure may be perfect, but these are important steps toward making the work of peacebuilding more of a national priority.

We will also urge Congress to push for greater support for our returning vets –  including mental and physical health services.  People like Tomas face daunting challenges upon return and we aren’t giving them the support they deserve.