Dream Soldier is a feature length action documentary about war and escapism, heroes and living history. At its core is a young man’s obsessive homage to his real life war hero.
The film is directed by Ulrike Kubatta and produced by Mark Lonsdale, the team behind the highly successful She Should Have Gone to the Moon (http://sheshouldhavegonetothemoon.com/).
Dream Soldier mixes elements of the road movie, bio pic and war film, and tells the story of two men’s journeys: one, a maverick, rebellious army sergeant from Pennsylvania (from the real ‘Band of Brothers’) on tour in the Europe of WWII ; the other, his present day follower, a passionate young war re-enactor seeking to connect with, experience and finally uncover his hero’s life.
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Beginnings
Ulrike Kubatta describes how the film came together:
‘We were researching the world of war re-enactment, going to big events, meeting lots of people. One day we were hanging out with the Screaming Eagles and got introduced to Jonnie. Suddenly we knew we had something. Here was this young guy from Liverpool who was obsessed by his portrayal of his war hero, Forrest Guth. We got talking and soon found out that his life was dominated by his desire to impersonate and honour Guth. I knew I had something very special and wanted to capture it on film.’
This encounter led us directly to the very heart of Dream Soldier, where a series of dramatic encounters with Jonnie reveal the life of his hero Forrest Guth.
An unshakeable bond
Five years ago Jonnie met Forrest in person during a veterans' visit to the UK. They got on like a house of fire, Guth discovered that his legacy lives on - through Jonnie - in the re-created world of living history. Jonnie saw a role model in Guth. In August 2009, Jonnie received the sad news that Forrest had died. Since his death, Jonnie’s portrayal of Guth has taken on a new and heightened meaning, he has become a living memorial to his hero. But this tribute will not last, as Jonnie has said:
‘I’m not doing this forever. It’s all about Forrest. I’ll stop the moment I get to the age when he passed out of the 101st. That’s not long now. When I go to America, see where he lived, meet everyone, that is going to be amazing.’
![Test shoot with the Screaming Eagles LHG 2012]( "Production Still 2")
A journey
Ulrike Kubatta describes the structure of the film:
‘Dream Soldier has a simple story, based on Jonnie's own personal journey as he tries to find the true Forrest Guth. We see him travel and change. He goes to camp and is transformed, he goes into a ‘virtual’ battle and emerges in Delaware, America. This is where Forrest became a pillar of the community after the war. So, he travels and gets closer and closer to Guth. It’s a journey, a quest.’
A film about war films
Ulrike Kubatta:
‘As a director I like to draw on cinema and film genres to tell the story. With Dream Soldier this seems essential, because films are our way of connecting with the past and, for many of us, they are a way of defining ourselves. So, I want to go into Jonnie’s own film world with him, and take the viewer too.’
Dream Soldier is a film about a love affair with America, American style and the cinema of Hollywood, it captures a young man’s journey to find - and know - his distant hero.
![The director, Ulrike Kubatta, with Jonnie Hodson at the War & Peace show 2012]( "Production Still 1")
THE TEAM
Here’s our production team, there’s much more information on the Dream Soldier website (http://dreamsoldier.net/)
Director - Ulrike Kubatta
Executive Producer - Karen Lee Street
Producer - Mark Lonsdale
Line Producer - Adam Kempton
DOP/Camera - James Clenaghan/Colin O'Halloran
Sound Designer - Martin Pavey
Editor - George Akers
Graphic Designer - Spencer Norman
Campaign Manager - Isabelle Rawlings/Emma Rudd
Where we are now
We have already completed pre-production and now have both a production budget and a shooting schedule in place. The film is already supported by FACT, Liverpool, the Imperial War Museums North and London.
We are currently in discussions with Warner Bros about shooting key World War II sequences at their Leavesden studios, where the Harry Potter films were made.
Your funding will allow us to complete the production stage of the film, covering shoots in Liverpool, at Warner Bros in Leavesden, plus the American sequences in Delaware and at Arlington Cemetery.
Support Dream Soldier - buy a package
If you buy a package we can complete all of the filming and be ready for post-production. This is your chance to get involved in a one off action movie. Join us on Jonnie’s journey.
Our packages give you the opportunity to be featured in the credits, appear in a battle scene, visit the Warner Bros studio shoot, dine with us or, even better, help us produce Dream Soldier and join us at a festival screening.
Share us with everyone
The vital thing is that you share the campaign with EVERYONE! On Facebook, Twitter, send people the trailer and teasers and production shots. Share the campaign and let’s make it happen together!
