THIS IS MY RIFLE
How The Story Came to Fruition
How It All Began
The concept for This Is My Rifle has been evolving for years. During my time in Los Angeles, many of the roles I auditioned for were military-related, and in preparing for those auditions I uncovered stories of trauma that stayed with me. That sensitivity to veterans’ experiences became deeply ingrained.
In my twenties, I discovered spoken word as an art form (specifically, THIS ONE) and I was struck by its power as a vessel for healing. Watching people transform their pain into poetry on stage, and seeing others connect with that vulnerability, showed me how art can bridge shared wounds. That inspiration became a cornerstone for this film.
On set as Sullivan, The Young and the Restless
Retired USMC combat veteran and 2/6 Marine John Brewer (left) with This Is My Rifle director Brad Bingham (right) during a 2019 conversation about the experiences of combat veterans.
To capture the reality of combat authentically, I turned to a family friend, retired USMC combat veteran John Brewer, who served with 3/6 Marines. He generously shared his experiences before deployment, during combat, and in the difficult transition home.
The story of Marjah — a city his unit helped liberate in 2010, only to see it retaken by the Taliban in 2016 — was devastating, and it underscored the themes of sacrifice, grief, and unfinished battles that this film explores.
We first set out to shoot the project in 2020, but a week before cameras rolled, COVID lockdowns forced us to put everything on hold. Five years and many rewrites later, the film is finally here. In hindsight, that time allowed the story to mature into something deeper, more personal, and truer to the weight it carries.
Looking Ahead
This Is My Rifle was always envisioned as the foundation for a feature film. That script is now complete, expanding on the characters, brotherhood, and healing journey introduced in the short. Our goal is to use this short as both a powerful story in its own right and as a proof of concept for the feature, inviting collaborators, investors, and festivals to join us in bringing the full vision to life.
Director's Note
This film began with a painful question: What does healing look like when the war never really ends?
Through close conversations with Marines who fought in Marjah, I came to see spoken word as a vessel powerful enough to carry that pain. Poetry gave them a way to speak the unspeakable, to turn silence into something shared.
At its heart, This Is My Rifle is about grief, brotherhood, and the courage to seek healing in unexpected places. My hope is that it resonates with veterans who recognize their own struggle, and with civilians who may walk away with a deeper understanding of the battles carried long after combat ends.
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