Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn? is an American documentary film released in 2018.
| Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn? | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Zachary Stauffer |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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Description edit
The documentary examines the events leading up to and immediately after the 2014 crash of a Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon off Cape Henry, Virginia.[1] Three crew members perished in the crash, among them Lieutenant Wes Van Dorn.[2] The documentary exposed widespread reliability issues across both Navy and Marine Corp 53E fleets.[3][4]
The reporting for the documentary included collaborations with the Virginian-Pilot, NBC News, and Honolulu Civil Beat. It was directed by Zachary Stauffer.[5]
Reception edit
The documentary was screened at the Mill Valley Film Fest with the Mercury News calling it "A high point in the fest’s documentary category"[6] and the San Francisco Chronicle calling it "A solid piece of investigative journalism."[7] The film was favorably reviewed by Film Threat.[8]
The Nation magazine called the film "a compelling story of how the dysfunction and greed of the military-industrial complex put US military personnel at risk, often with fatal consequences... Every concerned citizen and every member of Congress should see this film. Lives depend on it."[9]
The documentary was poorly received by Navy and Marine Corp senior officers, who declined to cooperate and described the documentary as "garbage journalism".[5]
Awards edit
- Audience Favorite, Mill Valley Film Festival, 2018
- Best Documentary, Monarch Film Festival, 2018
- Audience Award, RiverRun International Film Festival, 2019
- Best Documentary, Columbus International Film & Animation Festival, 2019
- Special Jury Award, Workers Unite Film Festival, 2019
- First Time Filmmaker Award, Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, 2019
- Best Feature Doc, Jacksonville Film Festival, 2019 [10]
Festival selections edit
2019
- Jacksonville Film Festival
- Alexandria Film Festival
- San Francisco Veterans Film Festival
- Ojai Film Festival
- United Nations Association Film Festival
- Louisville's International Festival of Film
- Chagrin Documentary Film Fest
- Golden Door International Film Festival
- Niagara Falls International Film Festival
- Newburyport Documentary Film Festival
- DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival
- San Antonio Film Festival
- New Haven Documentary Film Festival
- DUMBO Film Festival
- The Workers Unite Film Festival
- Newport Beach Film Festival
- Columbus International Film & Animation Festival
- RiverRun International Film Festival
- Annapolis Film Festival
- Fargo Film Festival
- San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
- Sedona International Film Festival
2018
- Monarch Film Festival
- Mill Valley Film Festival
References edit
- ^ Green, Jordan. "RiverRun 2019: Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn?". triad-city-beat.com. Triad City Beat. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Anna Schecter and Jason Paladino, Mike Hixenbaugh. "Sea Dragon Down: The Human Cost of the Navy's Most Crash-Prone Chopper". nbcnews.com. NBC News. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Paladino, Jason. "Pilot Error, Lack Of Training Blamed For Deadly Marine Helicopter Crash". civilbeat.org. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ D. Hartung, William. "Why Are US Military Personnel Using Unsafe Equipment?". thenation.com. The Nation. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b Stauffer, Zachary. "The US Navy Didn't Take My Reporting Seriously". defenseone.com. Defense One. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Myers, Randy. "Mill Valley Film Fest 2018: Your guide to the films to catch". mercurynews.com. Mercury News. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Lewis, David. "Hidden gems of the Mill Valley Film Festival". sfchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Parcellin, Paul. "Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn". filmthreat.com. Film Threat. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Hartung, William. "Why Are US Military Personnel Using Unsafe Equipment?". thenation.com. The Nation. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ "Official Website".
