Filmmaker seeks Capitol Hill screening for his new WWII documentary

A filmmaker who has released a new documentary about recovering the remains of World War II soldiers is seeking to show his movie on Capitol Hill.

Steven Barber’s “Until They Are Home,” narrated by actor Kelsey Grammer, follows the Department of Defense’s Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) task force as it returns to the island of Tarawa to find remains of U.S. soldiers who died there nearly 70 years ago. 

Barber said he’s pushing for a Capitol screening to raise awareness of JPAC.

“They need more funding,” Barber said. “I’m hoping a congressman or a senator will step up to the plate.”

To secure such a screening, Barber needs a lawmaker to sponsor the event. 

Barber has targeted members like Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), who have served in the military.

Another possibility, Barber said, is Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). Barber said he ran into the Finance Committee chairman on the Washington Mall last weekend as the senator accompanied a group of Montana veterans at the World War II Memorial. Barber chatted with Baucus, who lost a nephew in Iraq, about his documentary. 

Barber premiered “Until They Are Home” at the Directors Guild of America on Memorial Day, but said “the Capitol will be a whole different ballgame.

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