goingthedistance.info

Going the Distance - Project Summary

A proposal for a 56-minute documentary on survivors of traumatic brain injury. Produced and directed by David L. Brown for Epic Way Sports. Nonprofit fiscal sponsor: San Francisco Film Society.

Going the Distance is an hour-long documentary film-in-progress on survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The genesis of the film was the first-ever crossing of Lake Tahoe’s 22 mile span on stand-up paddleboards. The Tahoe paddle was a benefit for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which raises funds and awareness about TBI. ABC News Anchorman, Bob Woodruff, is a survivor of TBI from a roadside bomb in Iraq. His story and those of other TBI survivors anchor this documentary.

Going the Distance features the moving stories of several survivors of TBI, including Bob Woodruff, extreme athletes, a victim of a road rage beating, a survivor of a car crash and Iraq war veterans. The Lake Tahoe paddle footage is interwoven with TBI survivor stories, including their recovery and rehabilitation. The challenge and uncertainty faced by the paddlers is described by physician, Robb Gaffney, as a metaphor for some of the challenges and uncertainties facing TBI survivors. Less than half of the Lake Tahoe paddle participants had ever been on a stand-up paddleboard prior to setting out for what would be a 7-hour, 22-mile marathon event. But unlike the athletes that day on Lake Tahoe, TBI victims will face struggles and uncertainty each and every day—most likely for the rest of their lives. This documentary explores these struggles in the face of what many experts are calling a “TBI crisis” created by the “signature injury” of the Iraq war. Estimates suggest that up to 300,000 Iraq war veterans are afflicted by TBI, with many such injuries going undiagnosed.

In addition to TBI survivor stories and commentary from TBI experts, Going the Distance examines several TBI treatment facilities and profiles several key organizations that are focused on survivors of TBI, such as the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the Brain Injury Association of America, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).

Going the Distance is directed by David L Brown, a three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker from the San Francisco Bay Area. David has produced 11 broadcast documentaries that have aired on PBS and in 16 countries. David’s website is www.DLBFilms.com. 

Going the Distance is designed both for broadcast and for wide DVD distribution. It will be an invaluable educational and outreach tool for all organizations that are addressing the plight of TBI survivors.