In Production
Utah 213th and the Miracle at Gapyeong, 1951
Feature Documentary
In late May of 1951, roughly 250 soldiers of the 213th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) fought a critical battle against, and were nearly overrun, by an estimated 4,000 Communist Chinese soldiers in the Gapyeong (Kapyong) Valley, Korea. More than half of the 213th were Utah guardsman from southern Utah, including the commander Colonel Dalley and his headquarters staff. The men of the 213th fought fiercely and admirably to protect each other -- they were neighbors, family members and fellow members of their church from the same home towns. Normally artillery units like the 213th would have operated behind the front line--out of direct contact with the enemy. But in the pre-dawn hours of May 27th, 1951, the battle commenced at such great speed that elements of the 213th found themselves surrounded and behind enemy lines. This was not an artillery dual, the men of the 213th fought with small arms, their personal weapons, as the Communist Chinese were “in the perimeter.” The official report said 350 Chinese were killed and 831 captured, some estimated the deaths as high as 500. Remarkably not a single soldier/national guardsman was lost during the battle. It wasn’t the 213th’s first or last battle while deployed to the Korean conflict but later, after returning from deployment, the Utahns that comprised the 213th realized that they had all returned from deployment. It was the miracle of Gapyeong and they were the "Miracle Battalion" -- not one fatality!
In an effort to depict this story as accurately as possible we have collected images, letters, journals, and other documents. Some of these documents are available on our website for reference and research.
Solicitor General Rex E. Lee’s impact on the nation’s highest court is still manifest in the laws that govern us today—although most of us wouldn’t know it. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan to be the nation’s highest ranking lawyer, from the start Rex was forced to navigate political pressures from both the left and the right while seeking to maintain the integrity of the Solicitor General’s special relationship with the Supreme Court. Once shortlisted to be a Supreme Court Justice nominee during his tenure as Asst Attorney General for the Ford administration, Rex’s four years as Solicitor General likely caused him to forfeit any chance at an appointment to the bench.
Recent Works
Fronteira da Grandeza
Feature Documentary
Broadcaster: TV Brasil
Distributor: Journeyman TV
Although Brazil faces another wave of corruption scandals, it has risen faster than most countries in the past two decades. This rise has given way to a variety of challenges on its vast and mostly open frontier. While the openness of its border has resulted in a cultural melting pot enriching the lives of millions, the relatively easy access has led to a steady flow of illicit international trafficking. Everything that can be smuggled is being smuggled; cigarettes, exotic animals, gasoline, precious metals and timber to name a few. Violence in the favelas, already at historic proportions, is fueled by drugs and guns, much of which enters Brazil unimpeded. Despite the government's efforts to curb the flow of illegal activity and contraband, it faces an unenviable task—made even worse by Brazil’s location adjacent the three top drug producing countries in the world and rampant corruption on an official level. Fronteira provides a glimpse into the challenges facing Brazil’s frontier with implications for the future of Brazil itself as seen through the eyes of those on the frontline of this fight.
Arts of the Monsoon
Feature Documentary
Broadcaster: PBS (coming soon) and Omani TV (coming soon)
Produced for: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Long before Picasso, artistic endeavors along the Indian Ocean became a way of life for many. Single mass crafted dhows sailed, convening trade that flourished for hundreds of years, cultivating interwoven, unique gems of music, art, and adornment. This is a journey of many voices coming together to share their intimate stories of connections not readily known. These universal portrayals make up the Arts of the Monsoon for future generations.
The Pragmatic Dragon
China Boundaries is a web Series based on The Pragmatic Dragon, a book written by Eric Hyer. China shares borders and asserts vast maritime claims with over a dozen countries, and it has had boundary disputes with nearly all of them. Yet in the 1960s, while China was embroiled in a growing confrontation with the Soviet Union, India, and the United States, Beijing moved to peacefully settle ongoing boundary disputes with its neighbors. In this wide-ranging study of China's boundary disputes and settlements, Eric Hyer finds its territorial negotiations were pragmatic and strategic, with China demonstrating willingness to compromise. The Pragmatic Dragon analyzes each dispute and the strategy behind it, providing important insights into the foreign policy of a nation whose presence on the world stage continues to grow.
Unfortunate Brothers
Feature Documentary
Broadcaster: ORF/DOCS, HDnet World Report
Distributor: Journeyman TV
Unfortunate Brothers on Facebook
Unfortunate Brothers on YouTube
'Even though I live in South Korea, my heart is in North Korea. The North Koreans are not strangers, but my brethren'. These words spoken by Mr. Lee, the film's main character, reveal an internal conflict in the national psyche of the Korean people. Shot over the course of three years, Unfortunate Brothers: Korea's Reunification Dilemma seeks to explore reunification issues by following Mr. Lee, a North Korean defector trying to adjust to life in his newly adopted South Korean homeland. Through Mr. Lee's intensely personal account of his journey from North Korea, as well as expert interviews, the film tries to unravel the riddle of Korean unification and promote deeper understanding of two countries many of us know little about.
About
Combat Films & Research is a production company that has shot and produced international stories. We have expanded to also shoot everyth ing between commercial, corporate and educational.
READ MORE.
