2018 documentary film by Zachary Stauffer
Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn? is an American documentary film released in 2018.
Description.
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. Three crew members perished in the crash, among them Lieutenant Wes Van Dorn. The documentary exposed widespread reliability issues across both Navy and Marine Corp 53E fleets.
The reporting for the documentary included collaborations with the Virginian-Pilot, NBC News, and Honolulu Civil Beat. It was directed by Zachary Stauffer.
Reception.
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" and the "San Francisco Chronicle" calling it "A solid piece of investigative journalism." The film was favorably reviewed by Film Threat.
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."
The documentary was poorly received by Navy and Marine Corp senior officers, who declined to cooperate and described the documentary as "garbage journalism".
Festival selections.
2019
2018
References.
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