About the FilmIn November of 1944, Sgt Silvio J. Pedri of the 95th Infantry was sent on a mission to cross the Moselle river near Metz, France. His objective was clear: secure the opposite bank and create a diversion so that a larger unit could build a bridge to bring in the heavy artillery and take the city of Metz from the German army. Sgt Pedri had trained for almost two years for this moment, detailing every step of the way in letters to his fiancé in Rock Springs, Wyoming. However, no amount of training could have prepared him for what happened over the course of these few days. After losing most of his closest friends in a grueling battle against the Germans and mother nature, Sgt Pedri was taken prisoner. His letters home went silent, as did his account of the War once he finally made it back to American soil.
More than 70 years later, Silvio’s grandson, Mark, uncovered an archive of documents and photos detailing the horrifying journey of his grandfather as an American POW during World War II. In the winter of 2018, Mark and his fiancé will set out to retrace his footsteps across Germany on bike, piecing together a long-forgotten story in an effort to understand the man who raised him.
Support the Film
We are a small crew taking on a big project and we are grateful for every bit of support we receive. Our film is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Contributions in support of the film are payable to IDA and are tax deductible as allowed by law.
To make a tax deductible donation to the film, please visit the film's page hosted by the International Documentary Association |
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The Team
Mark Pedri
Director/Producer Mark is a documentary filmmaker and writer from Southwestern Wyoming. His creative process is reminiscent of his equally unique upbringing in Wyoming. Mark’s journey has been guided by the stories he tells, taking him 700 miles through the back roads of his home state on a bike while making a documentary about energy, to Germany and Turkey telling the origin story of Pilates. After making documentaries for 10 years, Mark took a full-time position at Sundance Institute in the Episodic department where he focused on helping underrepresented artists hone their craft and develop their own personal stories. Mark holds an MFA in Producing for TV and Film from the University of Southern California and splits his time between Los Angeles and Wyoming, where he is finishing a non-fiction book about a Rock Springs construction dynasty that will be published in early 2019. Between projects, Mark consults for the Sundance Labs. |
Carrie McCarthy
Producer/Head Researcher Carrie McCarthy is a scientist turned producer who got her start working as a scientific film consultant before going on to earn a PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Southern California. During her time in academia, Carrie was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund her research, which has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences worldwide. Under the shingle of Burning Torch Productions, Carrie and Mark co-produce documentaries, feature-length, and episodic content. Carrie is a hands-on producer who believes that being on the ground in the trenches is the only way to ensure the integrity of the project. She is driven by her endless curiosity to hunt down engaging stories with a unique perspective. She has a critical eye for detail in the true-life stories she develops. Carrie is currently based in Los Angeles, but spends a lot of time traveling wherever the project takes her. |
