Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. The story of Desmond Doss, a United Staes Army medic in World War II who refused to carry a gun or take life but became the first conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honour, seems like it could be a fabrication. It’s so remarkable, so unlikely.
The 17-year project
Friday, October 28, 2016Terry Benedict began documenting on film the life of former United States Army medic, conscientious objector and Seventh-day Adventist Desmond Doss in 1999. Seventeen years later, Benedict has just finished working as a producer on Hacksaw Ridge, the Mel Gibson-directed movie of Doss’ remarkable story. Signs Publishing Book Editor Nathan Brown asks Benedict about the new film, Doss’ faith and his passion to share the story with a much wider audience.
Hacksaw Ridge: a reflection
Thursday, October 27, 2016Watching Hacksaw Ridge is an ordeal. Even more so when the central character is a United States Army medic, a conscientious objector and a Seventh-day Adventist. The portrayal of the battlefield horrors in this new biographical film render the heroism and the faithfulness of Desmond Doss more troubling than inspiring.