The Hornet's Nest

Carlos Boettcher couldn't understand why his father Mike Boettcher an award winning war journalist was never at home. He decides the next time his father ships out, that he would go with him. For nearly 2 years, father and son were embedded as ABC news correspondents with the 101st Airborne divisions as they engaged in Strong Eagle 3, one of the most intense battles in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. History. Culled from over 500 hours of raw footage that was left over from their Emmy award winning coverage, the only father/son news team brings the real life of our service men/women and the sacrifices they make everyday.

The Boettchers produced Hornet's Nest with directors David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud of HighRoad Media. John Brenkus and Mickey Stern executive produced for Base Productions along with a mile list of co-executive, associate and executive producers. The battle to bring this to the screen was a hard fought journey. Using their network of friends that included SMU buddies of Tureaud and football players, the funds were raised to bring the film to finish. Testing it across the country, the final film had it's debut with a local celebrity opening at the Angelika Theater, including a live performance by five time Grammy winner Wynonna Judd and her husband Michael “Cactus Moser”. They contributed to the outstanding soundtrack of the film featuring “Follow Me”.

The Boettcher's camera give a POV perspective to the daily life of the soldiers on patrol. They are sent out on various missions that require them to secure the movements of supplies, track Taliban snipers, clearing areas of IED's, searching and clearing compounds, and eventually being surrounded in a Taliban stronghold while helping extract another platoon pinned down and suffering casualties. The camera doesn't lie. The sound of real bullets whizzing by are picked up by the video cameras as well as the sound of bullets hitting flesh. The resulting film is and up close and extremely personal representation of what our soldiers experience.

Mike Boettcher spent many years covering the front lines but this is the first time that it became more dear with his son caught in the fray. For once he is not seeing from a newsman's eye, but as a father. Over 22 journalists have died since the beginning of 2014. After his son left, Mike went on the cover the Strong Eagle 3 objective. We share the friendship and respect that the soldiers have for each other. That whatever idealistic reason they may have joined the service is on the back burner over the reason they stay now which is for each other. The voices, the stories are more emotional and heartbreaking when lives are lost. The honor they show to the fallen and their families will not leave a dry eye in the house.

This is not Lone Survivor. This is not Act of Valor. These are not actors with choreographed action scenes. This is real life and an important and necessary film that should be seen by everyone (except for kids).
(Review by reesa)



The Hornet's Nest Trailer


Pictures from the red carpet and concert at the premiere screening of The Hornet's Nest at the Angelika Theater, 5/5/2014 (Click on picture to enlarge)