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National WWII Museum Hosts Film
Premičre
“Flags of our Fathers” is Iwo Jima Epic
NEW ORLEANS October 2, 2006:
Clint Eastwood and producer Steven Spielberg have
generously arranged for The National WWII Museum to host
the New Orleans premičre of their new WWII film, “Flags
of Our Fathers.” Eastwood, one of America’s top
filmmakers (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Unforgiven”),
directed this film about the men who raised the flag on
Iwo Jima. “Flags of our Fathers” was produced by
Eastwood, Academy AwardŽ winner Steven Spielberg
(“Saving Private Ryan,” “Schindler’s List”), and Rob
Lorenz (“Mystic River”). This is the second major film
premičre in New Orleans in 30 days.
On Sunday, October 15, the stars of the film will attend
an invitation-only reception at The National WWII Museum
from 4:00 to 6:00 pm: Ryan Phillippe (“Crash”), Jesse
Bradford (“Happy Endings”) and Adam Beach (“Windtalkers”).
The public is invited to line the red carpet in front of
the Museum to see the stars arrive. Because of the
Museum’s essential educational mission to convey the
lessons and values of WWII to future generations, public
tickets to the premičre screening itself are being
offered at no cost to University of New Orleans students
majoring in History and Film. “Education is the core of
our mission,” stated Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller,
Museum President and CEO. “Important films like “Saving
Private Ryan” and “Flags of our Fathers” can be a
springboard for young people to explore and understand
the history of our country and the world.”
In February, 1945, Allied victory in Europe was finally
within reach but the war in the Pacific raged on. One of
the most crucial and bloodiest battles of the war was
the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which
culminated with what would become one of the most iconic
images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman
raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi.
The inspiring photo capturing that moment became a
symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of
war and made instant heroes of the six American soldiers
at the base of the flag, some of whom would die soon
after, never knowing that they had been immortalized.
But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being
held up as symbols and did not consider themselves
heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their
brothers in arms who were fighting and dying without
fanfare or glory.
The “Flags of Our Fathers” film is based on the national
bestseller by James Bradley with Ron Powers, which
chronicles the battle of Iwo Jima and the fates of the
flag raisers and some of their brothers in Easy Company.
Bradley’s father, John “Doc” Bradley, was one of the men
pictured raising the flag, although James never knew the
full extent of his father’s experiences on Iwo Jima
until after the elder Bradley’s death in 1994.
Spielberg and Eastwood asked Paramount Pictures to hold
this premičre in New Orleans to spotlight and support
The National WWII Museum, the City of New Orleans and
Louisiana in the post-Katrina recovery. Spielberg has
been a supporter of the Museum since before it opened.
He held a premičre here for “Band of Brothers” and also
served as Executive Producer of the film “Price For
Peace,” which plays daily in the museum. The National
WWII Museum founder, Stephen E. Ambrose, also
collaborated with Spielberg on his celebrated dramatic
film on the D-Day invasion of Normandy, “Saving Private
Ryan.” During the Museum’s grand opening in 2000,
Spielberg first presented his documentary film “Shooting
War” about the combat correspondents of WWII.
Spielberg’s film on his father’s unit, “The Burma Bridge
Busters” also premičred at the Museum.
“Flags of our Fathers” will open in theaters October 20.
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