Fr. Emil Kapaun was a modern-day American hero, yet his story is not as well-known as it should be.
A new film aims to change that.
Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey tells the true story of Fr. Kapaun. It’ll be in theaters one night only, on November 8, 2024.
The story behind Fighting Spirit
Fr. Kapaun was a Catholic combat chaplain who died in a prisoner-of-war camp after laying down his life in service in countless ways.
Fighting Spirit explores not only his story but also the extraordinary heroism and sacrifice of U.S. combat chaplains throughout every American war. This film honors faith, members of the military, and almost unimaginable courage.
Here’s the official film synopsis:
When the remains of prisoner of war and Army combat chaplain Emil Kapaun (perhaps the Vatican’s next saint) are identified after 70 years, much of our nation is captivated by their journey home.
As a younger former chaplain unexpectedly embarks on his own journey to greet them, he becomes inspired by the untold stories of the 419 U.S. military chaplain heroes who’ve given their lives for this unique calling.
As the paths of these combat chaplains from different eras finally collide, we’re reminded how the profound weight of history and the immense power of love can converge to produce a life-changing healing.
You can see the trailer here:
The heroism of spiritual strength
Executive Producer Chris Pratt shared with Aleteia how the film celebrates the heroism of spiritual strength:
Being a hero isn’t always about physical strength and weapons of war. I love that some of the greatest weapons of the combat chaplains in Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey include encouragement, sacrifice, and, as said in the film, sometimes just being present. I know combat chaplains may not want to be called heroes, but it’s hard for me to think of a better word to describe them.
A story we need
Executive Producer Fr. Tom Gibbons, CSP, and Richard Hull, Producer/Co-Director/Writer, shared with Aleteia why they wanted to share Fr. Kapaun’s story with the world.
Fr. Gibbons said:
Father Kapaun’s story is an example of the priesthood at its best, serving all of those in his charge under the most inhumane conditions imaginable. He stands as an icon as someone who truly emptied himself out for the sake of those whom he loved, which is what our faith calls of us all regardless of whether we are clergy or lay. His story is a light for us all.
Richard Hull said:
Fr. Kapaun’s heroism is timeless, but his path to perhaps become that Vatican’s next saint makes his story timely. He was a source of hope for U.S. soldiers held in the horrible conditions of a prisoner-of-war camp in Korea. And when his remains were identified 70 years later during the production of our film, we didn’t quite know how his story would fit into our work, but we just knew that it would. The journey to his funeral became important for so many people, and, ultimately, became the throughline for our film. Our partner Chris Pratt and I were honored to join President Obama, the Army, the Catholic Church, and so many others in celebrating his life and bringing his incredible story to the world.
Favorite filmmaking moments
Of course, for such a special movie, we had to ask about the filmmaking process. Fr. Gibbons and Hull each shared their favorite moments of making this movie.
Fr. Gibbons said:
Being able to be present at Father Kapaun’s homecoming in Wichita was absolutely a highlight. To see how the whole city came out to welcome their hero and, even after all of the decades had passed, Fr. Kapaun was still inspiring people in both their faith and their service to one another.
Richard Hull said:
To see the lights come up in these screenings and audiences have such clearly powerful reactions to the film is such an emotional experience. For people with military connections, they seem to be reacting to us giving a voice to their experience. For faith-based people, they recognize the power of combat chaplains serving those who serve us as Americans. And for everyone else, they love the journey into a world they previously knew nothing about. I think they’re all reacting to the authenticity of these untold stories, and the profound impact they’ve had on our country. And that’s incredibly special for me.
