It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, schools, and other military units. Their quest forms the subject of rachel libert and tony hardmons slender documentary semper fi. The resulting tonal inconsistencies are as frequently moving in their evocation of intimate quotidian plainness as they are stifling of what should have been an act of white. But after his nineyearold daughter died of a rare type of leukemia, jerrys relentless search for answers leads to a shocking discovery exposing one of the largest water contamination sites in u.
Always faithful, who takes the marine corps credo utterly seriously. The film made the 15 film short list for consideration for a 2012. Available now on itunes, amazon instant, sundance now and netflix. I understand they want to make money but lets get this out there on youtube and the torrents so many can learn of. Always faithful attempts to shoehorn itself into the broadly crowdpleasing documentary format made fashionable during the past decade. It is the motto of the united states marine corps, usually shortened to semper fi. Living by the marine creed, this drill instructorturnedactivist puts his own pain aside and takes on the top. Always faithful, the war room, eye of god, and will. After his nineyearold daughter died of leukemia, marine corps drill instructor jerry ensminger wanted to know why. The new yorkbased company was founded by julie parker benello afternoon delight, pariah, brooklyn castle, dan cogan hell and back again, how to survive a plague, the queen of versailles, geralyn dreyfous born into brothels, the invisible war, the square and wendy ettinger semper fi. I personally witnessed his bulldog, hangonforever tenacity as he made countless treks to the halls of congress on his own dime and nearly always with no positive outcome. One of the most important films i saw at this years tribeca film festival, semper fi tells the heartbreaking story about the fight to get the marine corps and the american government to come clean about the contamination of the drinking water at camp. Jerry ensminger exposes evidence of toxic chemicals in the drinking water at camp lejeune.
His fight reveals a grave injustice at camp lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country. Wider film projects is a film production company formed by emmy award winning producers todd wider and jedd wider to develop film projects that have social and political resonance. Codirector rachel libert talks to the conversation about her new film. Always faithful dvd, 2012 at the best online prices at ebay. Always faithful follows jerry ensminger s mission to expose the marine corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. From 1957 to 1985 the us military dumped toxic waste into the drinking water at camp lejune. The film received its world premiere at the 2011 tribeca film festival, where it received the award for best editing in a documentary feature. Details like this elevate the film above your average underdog story. His search for answers uncovers one of the largest water contamination incidents in american history.
Master sergeant jerry ensmingers loyalty was always to the marine corps. Always faithful a new documentary this transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. I understand they want to make money but lets get this out there on youtube and the torrents so many can. Always faithful on netflix web site built by a different feather, hosted sustainably with canvas dreams. Always faithful, is a documentary film about the camp lejeune water contamination. Jul 23, 2014 this feature is not available right now. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies.
When the first hint of evidence about polluted wells. As usual, this film was shot in hd video high definition widescreen and bluray with dolby digital audio. Always faithful follows jerrys mission to expose the marine corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. Jerry ensmingers fight to reveal a grave injustice at north carolinas camp lejeune and a looming environmental. When the first hint of evidence about polluted wells at marine corps base camp lejeune. Jerry ensminger is the kind of person, you come to see in semper fi. His fight reveals a grave injustice at north carolina s camp lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country. The resulting tonal inconsistencies are as frequently moving in their evocation of intimate quotidian plainness as they are. The film made the 15 film short list for consideration for a 2012 academy award for best documentary feature.
These are two questions that dominate much of the documentary semper fi. Jerry ensminger was a devoted marine for nearly twentyfive years as a drill instructor he lived and breathed the corps and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto semper fidelis or always faithful. Always faithful is a visually and structurally pedestrian documentary and since semper fi translates to always faithful, it has one hell of a redundant title. Marcia yerman, huffington post for profiles in pure courage, it doesnt get more sobering than semper fi. As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the corps and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands. Yet, after a decade of this tenacious commitment, the results are in place. One of the most important films i saw at this years tribeca film festival, semper fi tells the heartbreaking story about the fight to get the marine corps and the american government to come clean about the contamination of the drinking water at camp lejeune in north carolina. Always faithful follows jerrys mission to expose the marine corps and force them to live up to their motto to. Jerry ensminger lost his 9 year old daughter to a rare type of leukemia, he wondered why. But there are elements of libert and hardmons film that are superb. D espite its minimally budgeted production and feelbad subject matter, semper fi.
That, my friends, exemplifies semper fi always faithful. Support semper fi add us to your netflix dvd queue semper fi. Always faithful follows jerrys mission to expose the marine corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their. When jerrys nineyear old daughter janey died of a rare type of leukemia, his world collapsed. In the past seven years, they have produced numerous critically and commercially successful feature documentary films. The film won a documentary editing award at tribeca and the ridenhour documentary film prize 2012. Always faithful carefully follows the conduct of this case, which is largely unknown by the general public. It shares an underreported story with us, and it does so in as intimate a way as possible. Jerry ensmingers fight to reveal a grave injustice at north carolinas camp. The film is very tight and cleanvery little feels extraneous. Jan, 2012 after his nineyearold daughter died of leukemia, marine corps drill instructor jerry ensminger wanted to know why. This film was produced and or financed by wider film projects. Always faithful in rachel libert and tony hardmons shocking expose semper fi, a career marine master sgt.
His fight reveals a grave injustice at north carolinas camp lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country. As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the corps and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto semper fidelis or always faithful. Always faithful follows jerrys mission to help thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals at north carolinas camp lejeune. Aug 25, 2011 d espite its minimally budgeted production and feelbad subject matter, semper fi. His search for answers uncovers one of the largest water contamination. It means the film lacks a little balancewe do not really get a feel for the context in which ensminger is fighting his war. Always faithful online on videoondemand services netflix, hbo now, paytv or movie theatres with original audio in english.
My only criticism of the film is the difficultly in seeing it. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing semper fi. Jerry ensminger was a devoted marine for nearly twentyfive years. Official web site for the awardwinning documentary semper fi. Moreover, it is not clear from what all this contamination resulted, nor exactly what these chemicals. At a time when the environmental protection agency is coming under attack for overregulation, the film stands as a testimony to what happens when the publics health is neither protected nor considered. Jerry ensminger pursues evidence of toxic chemicals in the drinking water at camp lejeune and exposes the military coverup of the disaster. Up to a million soldiers and their families were secretly exposed to poisonous water at camp lejeuneincluding.
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