Award-Winning Documentary Co-Produced by Mercer CCJ Faculty Member Laura Fong to Premiere in Theaters Friday

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MACON – “No Greater Love,” a documentary film co-produced by Mercer University Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) faculty member Laura Fong, will premiere in theaters across the country this Friday.

In Georgia, the award-winning film will be shown on the big screen at the AMC Classic Fort Benning 10 in Columbus, AMC Colonial 18 in Lawrenceville and the Mall of Georgia Stadium 20 in Buford.

“No Greater Love” premiered on the film festival circuit at the Boston Film Festival in September 2015, and earned numerous honors, including Best Documentary and the Mass Impact Award in Boston, Best of Show and Best Documentary at the Lake Charles Film Festival, Best Military Film at the San Diego Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Foyle Film Festival in Ireland, Best of the Fest at the Bentonville (Arkansas) Film Festival and the Military Filmmaker Award at the GI Film Festival.

The documentary is composed of real footage shot in Afghanistan by the film's director, U.S. Army Chaplain Capt. Justin Roberts, in addition to follow-up interviews with soldiers and surviving family members of soldiers killed in combat. The film examines the experiences of combat and post-traumatic stress disorder upon transitioning from the battlefield to home.

Roberts deployed in 2010 with the now legendary “No Slack” Battalion, 101st Airborne Division to Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan. The 800-man unit suffered 18 casualties and earned more than 200 Purple Hearts while fighting some of the fiercest battles against the Taliban.

Roberts returned home a passionate advocate for soldiers, like himself, dealing with PTSD. He teamed up with director of photography Ryan Curtis and producers Brent Dones, Priyank Desai and Fong, who is also an advocate for veterans' issues as well as an award-winning photojournalist, to attempt to illuminate to the American public the true cost of war and start a dialogue about what combat is like for soldiers and how difficult it is for them to return to civilian life.

“It was truly an honor to work with the soldiers of 'No Slack' and to help tell their incredible stories of love, loss, brotherhood and valor,” said Fong, who serves as journalist-in-residence and visiting assistant professor in the CCJ.

For more information on “No Greater Love,” visit nogreaterlovemovie.com.

To request the film to be shown in Macon, visit https://nogreaterlovemovie.com/theaters/.

About the Center for Collaborative Journalism

The Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) is a unique partnership between Mercer University, The Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Peyton Anderson Foundation. The Center's groundbreaking collaboration has students, faculty and veteran journalists working together in a joint newsroom. Learning in a “teaching hospital” model, students engage the community using the latest digital tools and leave with a strong portfolio of published work.