Steven C. Barber:

Film Director
Gains Ground for Marines

July  2011

WATCH "RETURN TO TARAWA, THE LEON COOPER STORY" FREE ON HULU, click here 

Generously Oz Sanchez sent Corps Stories these thoughts to share regarding Barber's work: "Exposure, awareness, and recognition of the fallen WWII Marines at Tarawa, that have gone essentially unrecognized to this point. His work and efforts put towards "Return to Tarawa" earned him the respect of acclaimed actor Ed Harris, world renowned CNN face Larry King, and most notably, general James F. Amos, current commandant of the Marine Corps. To include myself."

"God. That's all. Just God."

Oscar-qualified director Steven C. Barber's depiction of Marines in now three critically-acclaimed documentaries has earned him the Corps' respect - something rarely given to Hollywood.

And with the same humility as a Marine, he gives the credit of his work - his passion - to the One who deserves it.

Maybe it was his time at Virginia's Augusta Military Academy where he studied with Marine MajGen Larry Nicholson. Maybe it was his happenstance meeting with former Marine and TV legend Eddie Albert while mountain biking several years ago. Either way, Barber has become a Hollywood mover and shaker with the ambition, transparency and energy of Marine deep in the fight.

We as a country need to know why hundreds of Marine's graves at Tarawa disappeared. And Barber will not allow raising production costs to force these Marine's stories to sit on a shelf.

"I can safely say I won't be getting an invite to the Spielberg Christmas party. I pitch him every time I see him, and I'm going to pitch him again tonight." he said with a laugh, referring to their mutual presence at the premiere of 'Cowboys and Aliens' in southern California recently.

He refuses to wait for some movie company to 'believe' in his film enough to fund it. He asks the wealthiest of the movie and troop-supporting community to bring it. In true Marine fashion, Barber rattles the can. And that is what sets him apart - and how his movies arrive on the big screen, and in the hearts of Marines and the rest of America.

"Until They Are Home" is the sequel to his directorial debut, "Return to Tarawa, The Leon Cooper Story". In between filming those two, he directed "The Unbeaten" a movie about 31 paraplegics who raced Denali National Park's 267 miles, from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. The film includes segments about former Marine Oz Sanchez, the world's fastest hand-cyclist.

Viewers now know who in Hollywood cares about Marines: Ed Harris narrated. Clint Black composed and performed. Dan Akroyd narrated. Pamela Anderson, JP Dejoria, Steve Forbes, Boone Pickens, Cher, Tony Hawk, Larry Hagman, Steve Jobs, Paula and Sumner Redstone and many other household names wrote checks to fund these projects - with nothing in it for themselves.

In the first movie, Barber took up the cause of an 88-year-old self-published author he met at a UCLA book fair - that of WWII Naval officer and Tarawa survivor Leon Cooper.

"I almost didn't go," he said of the day he met Cooper. A friend bailed out on the event, and Barber turned around and headed home. "Something just made me go back," he said. Cooper was the first writer he met. Barber shared his Eddie Albert story, and Cooper recalled watching Albert pull severely wounded Marines out of the water and onto a boat in that, the worst battle in Corps history: 1113 Marines dead in 72 hours.

From there Barber, like any great observer, stood back and watched Cooper go. Hell hath no fury like that of military officer in the winter of life righting a wrong against his fallen. "Return to Tarawa" prompted legislation to fund the finding and repatriation of those Marines.

"Until They Are Home" follows the first Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command mission to Tarawa, where two Marines were found, and returned to their families.

After the battle on November 20-23 of 1943, Marines buried their dead, in many dozen unmarked graves there at the battle site. But years later those marking were gone. Barber's "Return..." heartbreakingly shows elderly Cooper discovering that hallowed ground is a dumping site. Rotting, soiled diapers to food waste to surfaced metal relics of the fight - including live ammunition - covered Marine graves.

The post-production costs for "Until..." is Barber's focus these day. He's estimated $109,000 will finish the film - a pittance of a sum in Hollywood numbers.

That is what endears him to the Marine community. He doesn't see asking for or receiving these costs as anything other that what it is: the cost of getting a story out Americans need to hear - a story which needs a better ending.

Nor does Barber see the rich and famous as elite. He talks about his interviews with Marines - from privates to the commandant - with far more reverence than the conversations with billionaires he's approached for backing.

Barber lives in Santa Monica, neighbors to celebrities of every breed, works with the most powerful in the business, yet shuns the pretence so common in that world. He publishes his cell number on his Facebook and Blogspot pages and on his movie's official websites. He takes his calls, doesn't send them to voice mail - or a public relations staff.

And the better half of Barber is Tamara Henry - a darling of the environmental-concerns web and TV community - and his partner in Vanilla Fire Productions. Although a powerful public presence in her own right, she may be his biggest cheerleader; in the background during our telephone interviews, reminding a reluctant Barber to share various accomplishments.

Few in Hollywood have captured Marines - their heart, their history and their passion. But Steven Barber's sincere and driven films have.

And because of this he is a trusted voice for former and serving, living and fallen, Marines and all who want  - and need - to know them.

END

Editor's Note: Special thanks to GySgt. Alex Kitsakos for his invaluable contribution to this story.