Take look to the right... 

That is where we are in the chase to beat the anti-war movie 'Redacted' in six weeks.  We started out last week at around 9%. 

We are 32% 35% of the way to beating 'Home of the Brave'.

And today I saw that Phil Donahue has produced a documentary--the documentary version of 'Home of the Brave.' 

'Home of the Brave' being the threatrical version of the documentary 'Ground Truth'.

Are you noticing a pattern here?  A pattern that says a Soldier or Marine is only worth filming after their deployment. 

The director of 'Ground Truth' had this to say about her movie:

March 26th 2007, OP Omar, Iraq-- At about 11:00 am I was standing in a fighting tower recording video and talking to the paratroopers manning their post, when one uttered a memorable line:

"Hopefully they'll grow some balls and just bound on us and try to overrun us," the paratrooper said,  "but they don't want to die that quickly."

I moved on to the rest of the towers, finishing up at the one manned by Specialist Jason Stegall.

Two hours later a Suicide truck bomb rumbled toward Stegall.

To remember that day, and ensure the story of Blackfoot Company is told, I am slashing the price of the Danger Close DVD.

Today (Extended dure to popular demand!) only the 'Danger Close' single disc will sell for $10.

The advance in technology has allowed me to make documentaries about Iraq that would have been impossible 15 years ago. 

In the late 80's VHS finally beat Beta, but the revenge of Beta is that it became the broadcast industry standard for more than a decade.  VHS being a consumer product, Beta being used by professionals to make commercials and television news. 

In television news I have seen a long line of formats.

One year ago today, I took a back pack and two boxes full of spare TV gear to Iraq.

I had no idea what I would see, only where I would I go--Baghdad, Al Anbar province, Kharmah.

What I saw through the camera lens is what you will see on the three DVD episodes .

My documentaries about Iraq are unlike the approach of most documentary projects.  Most documentary films are written before the first frame of footage is shot.  They are scripted, planned and even rehearsed.  Many of them, ala Michael Moore, star the director as the director begins with a premise and goes about proving it.

Last year I put some clips up and declared--"this is not a trailer."

Friends, this...is a trailer .

The DVD...which is actually a Double Disc documentary trilogy is so close to be released it is maddening.  (Individual episodes will also be sold on DVD.)

The three episodes, with all the special features, will give you 190 minutes of Iraq as only those who operate outside the wire get to see it.

What started last year about this time when I went to Iraq is about to reach its logical conclusion.

I can't wait to get to back to Iraq to start the process all over again.

There are more documentaries in the Outside the Wire Series to come.