The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is proud to announce the May 1 premiere screening of "Running Towards the Fire - A War Correspondent’s Story." The documentary highlights the remarkable efforts of World War II correspondents. Gilbert and Martha Hitchcock Professor of Journalism Barney McCoy directed the film.
"Running Towards the Fire" vividly captures the pivotal roles war correspondents played during the Allies 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe and subsequent defeat of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in 1945. The war correspondents were unsung heroes who risked their lives informing the world with firsthand accounts of the bravery and sacrifice of the American and Allied forces who fought the Nazis.
The documentary draws extensively from the previously unpublished memoirs of Robert Reuben. The Omaha-born war correspondent parachuted into Normandy, France, hours before the D-Day invasion and was the first journalist on the ground. Reuben chronicled the Allies' liberation of France and Belgium and fierce fighting in Germany that forced the Nazi’s May 7, 1945, surrender.
"Running Towards the Fire" also pays tribute to the courage and resilience of the men and women who fought tyranny in WWII. Through newspaper articles, radio broadcasts and film reports, war correspondents like Reuben boosted the morale of soldiers and civilians by highlighting the sacrifices they made in the pursuit of freedom.
The screening of "Running Towards the Fire" will take place at 7 p.m. on May 1 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, located at 313 N. 13th St. in Lincoln. Admission is free and open to the public. Advanced tickets are available at https://go.unl.edu/runningtowardsthefire.
Following the screening, a distinguished panel discussion will be held, featuring director/producer Barney McCoy, assistant professor of practice and documentary videographer Kristian Anderson, project consultants Christine Lesiak, an award-winning filmmaker, and Mitch Yockelson, author, military historian and senior archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration.
"Running Towards the Fire" is a collaborative effort produced by McCoy, with support from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Humanities Nebraska, The Donald and Lorena Meier Foundation, Nebraska Public Media and Painted Rock Productions.
For more information and to reserve your tickets, please visit https://go.unl.edu/runningtowardsthefire or contact event coordinator Zac Franzen at zfranzen@unl.edu or (402) 472-3053.
