'High Ground': A movie for you all

By Stacy Bare

Best Defense movie critic

Go see the movie High Ground. If you are a veteran or
part of the military, it's an
important film to watch to remind yourself of what you and your brothers
and sisters in arms may be struggling with when they get out of the military,
and more importantly, how they are triumphing and how even out of the military,
you can continue to push yourself. If you are not in the military, it's an
important film to watch because it puts several incredible human faces onto the 'veteran issues' our country is struggling to resolve when our men and service
women come home from war.

The film, made by award winning filmmaker Michael Brown
through Serac
Films and the Outside Adventure Film School, is a survey of
11 veterans and one gold star mother (gold stars refer to those who have lost a
son, daughter, spouse, or family member at war) who make a trek to the top of
Lobuche Mountain in Nepal. They are supported in their mission by Erik Weihenmayer, the
first blind man to summit Mt. Everest, and his team of climbers and support
staff. Erik and his team initially set out to celebrate the 10-year anniversary
of his summit of Everest before taking on the larger veteran project through
the organization Soldiers
to the Summit.

The highlights of the film are not the breathtaking shots
of the Himalaya mountains and valleys, or watching the physically impressive
feats of men and women pushing their bodies in spite of a range of physical
disabilities, from missing limbs to a loss of eyesight. While Brown does a
fantastic job with these shots, the movie should be seen for the individuals
whose stories are told, often using home movies and old photographs alongside
the more polished cinematography.

Viewers are not invited to pity the veterans but are shown
real people to connect to, and at times, brutally honest descriptions of the
veteran experience. Most viewers should be able to see some of themselves in at
least one of the participants and perhaps this alone will be the movie's
triumph: to build a stronger bridge of understanding between the veteran and
non-veteran.

You may, as I did, find yourself criticizing or
questioning certain aspects of the overall project. For example, if as one of
the participants -- Dan Sidles -- suggests, climbing a mountain in the Himalayas
helps to create the camaraderie, sense of mission, and love that he felt while
in the service, could that same sense of camaraderie be found in climbing
mountains in the United States? And, for the same cost as climbing in Nepal, how
many more climbs, with how many more veterans could be held within the borders
of the country we defended?

The trick though is not to let the negatives that might
seep in at the corners get to you. All in all, High Ground is
a beautiful film, well shot, good action, and with a great story -- several
stories in fact -- that America needs to hear about wartime and the military
veteran experience. At 90 minutes, everyone has the time to go see the
movie and to learn something about how and why we, as individuals fight and
what it's like when we come home.

Make sure when the film comes to town to get your tickets
and if you miss it in the theaters, definitely get yourself the DVD. Stay up to
date on the film's tour and release dates here.

Stacy Bare served as a captain in the U.S. Army
from 2000-2004 and again from 2006-2007. He served as the Counter Terrorism
Team Chief in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 2003-04 and as a Civil Affairs Team Chief in
Baghdad, Iraq, from 2006-07. He is now the Military Families and Veterans
Representative for the Sierra Club. At 6'8" and 260 pounds
of pure muscle, Stacy himself resembles a mountain. He probably would have been
signed by the All
Blacks as a flanker or fullback but for his love of veterans and
rock climbing.