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If I Should Fall

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For other uses of "If I Should Fall", see "If I Should Fall" (disambiguation).
If I Should Fall
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrendon Culliton (director)
Dan Heald (co-director)
Produced byPaul Culliton (producer)
Michael Roberts (executive producer)
StarringMarc Diab
CinematographyBrendon Culliton
Edited byBrendon Culliton
Music byLoreena McKennitt
Release date
  • December 2010 (2010-12)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

If I Should Fall (full title: If I Should Fall: A True Story of the Afghan War Experience) is a Canadian documentary film about Marc Diab, a Canadian soldier of Lebanese origin serving in Afghanistan. Directed by Canadian film director Brendon Culliton, and co-directed by Dan Heald, it is their first long feature documentary film and is a Joint Media Group Inc (JMGI) production co-founded by Culliton himself.

Marc Diab

Marc Diab was born on 23 September 1986 in Ain Ebel, Lebanon to Hani Diab and Jihan Falah. He had two older sisters, Jessica and Maya. He and his family moved to Canada as immigrants in 2000, and Marc became a Canadian citizen on 11 June 2004 and lived in Mississauga, Ontario. He was very active in his community and took part in many church and youth projects. Marc fell in love with Mary Barakat, a girl he had met in Lebanon and planned to propose to as soon as he returned home from his assignment.

Despite being the sole son in his family, he decided to serve in the Canadian Forces. While on leave, he made a point of coming back to Mississauga and taking part in youth camps inspiring the participating kids, and becoming a role model and a mentor to them. He also took a lot of video footage and photographs he went. When he left for Afghanistan, a Facebook account was created in his support with 1700 members and supporters. He died on March 8, 2009 after his vehicle hit an Improvised explosive device (IED) in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province. He was the 112th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan. He was just 22 years old and only weeks away from coming home.

There was a huge outpour of grief and support from his community and friends and fellow soldiers when he died. Trooper Marc Diab Memorial Park was inaugurated in June 2010 in Mississauga, Ontario in his memory.[1] His family and relatives also opened a Lebanese restaurant Madameek in his memory, just next to his base in Petawawa. The restaurant contains memorabilia that once belonged to Diab.[2]

Brendon Culliton

Brendon Culliton (b. 1987) currently lives in London, Ontario and is a Canadian documentary film director. He graduated from Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology specializing in the college's TV broadcasting program. He is a co-founder and producer with Joint Media Group Inc. with his father Paul Culliton. If I Should Fall is his first major film. He is preparing another documentary titled General Racing about the career of Major-General Lewis MacKenzie. The film is in post-production.

Synopsis

If I Should Fall eloquently portrays the story of one martyred soldier, and in doing so, tells the story of many others. The original idea by Joint Media Group Inc. of London, Ontario was to try to make a pilot for TV called Afghan Diaries two years prior and wanted to do an episode on what happens when a soldier dies.[3]Executive Producer Michael Roberts had been friends with the Diabs, through their restaurant in Streetsville (Mississauga), and introduced the family to Paul when they were first talking about creating the Afghan Diaries. Paul Culliton and Roberts felt that they had a lot of excellent material provided by the Diabs and at their suggestion, Brendon decided to focus on Marc Diab, a 22-year-old trooper of The Royal Canadian Dragoons and of Lebanese origin who on March 8, 2009, was killed in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The film uses some footage videotaped by Marc Diab himself and many other soldiers narrating process when IEDs were found. The film furthermore includes hand-held footage taken by another warrior of the scene after his own armoured personnel carrier was hit by an IED.[4] It also uses a montage prepared by Diab himself, called "See You Tomorrow" for his loved ones in case he didn't come home alive.[5]

In the wake of his death, countless lives were changed forever. The documentary tells the story of Marc Diab's life through the accounts of those who loved him: his family (father Hani Diab and mother Jihan Falah), his comrades of D Squadron, Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., and his beloved girlfriend. Viewers see the human face behind the honor and sacrifice of soldiers and the heavy price they and their families pay for their nation.

Supported by an ensemble of renowned Canadian military experts, including retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie, Esprit de Corps magazine's Scott Taylor, and author Captain Ray Wiss M.D., the film explores the conflict in Afghanistan and the timeless tragedy of what it means to lose a loved one to war.

Music

The film featuring music by award-winning Canadian artist Loreena McKennitt

Charity

A DVD release (in two versions, the official release version and another version with extended footage in addition to further testimonies) was also released with proceeds going to the Marc Diab Children's Foundation and the Military Families' Fund.

Reception

If I Should Fall got favourable reviews including from Peter Worthington of the Toronto Sun who wrote. "Every Canadian should have a chance to see If I Should Fall." Scott Taylor of Esprit de Corps Canadian military magazine said, "This is an authentic story of the Canadian Afghan war experience."

Awards

  • 2012: "Best Documentary" at the Toronto Beaches Film Fest, Toronto, Ontario
  • 2012: "Audience Award" at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, Buffalo, New York
  • 2012: "Best Documentary" at the Amelia Island Film Festival, Amelia Island, Florida
  • 2011: "Award of Excellence - Documentary Competition" at the Canada International Film Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • 2011: "Best Documentary" at the Hamilton Film Festival, Hamilton, Ontario
  • 2011: "Best Documentary" at the Silver Wave Film Festival, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Official selections
  • 2012: Official Selection, Lebanese Film Festival, Sydney, Australia
  • 2012: Official Selection, Ottawa International Film Festival, Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2012: Official Selection, GI Film Festival, Washington, DC
  • 2012: Official Selection, Canadian Film Fest, Toronto, Ontario
  • 2012: Official Selection, Reelworld Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario
  • 2012: Official Selection, Belleville International Documentary Film Festival, Belleville, Ontario
  • 2011: Official Selection, Brantford International Film Festival, Brantford, Ontario

See also

References

  1. ^ Mississauga.com: Mark Diab Memorial unites community
  2. ^ Canadian Army Forces website: Lebanese restaurant opens for fallen soldier
  3. ^ Ubiquitous magazine: Documentary of Fallen Soldier Helping Others Understand War and Loss
  4. ^ The Toronto Sun: YouTube brings home reality of war
  5. ^ National Post: Movie focuses on the death of one of Afghan war's 'regular guys'
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