Chris Pratt's New Faith Project Honors Chaplains, Military

A Hollywood director and producer is offering a lens into a truly unique profession, showing audiences what it's really like to be a military combat chaplain. Richard Hull's new film, "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey," which releases in theaters Nov. 8, gives audiences a chance to better understand these unsung heroes' experiences. "I knew nothing about military chaplains," he told CBN News. "I didn't even know that that existed as a profession." Hull, who ended up directing, writing, and producing the project, said he became personally invested as he started to explore the backstories. "The more I got to know the subject matter, the more I fell in love with it, and I thought, 'This is a movie that, not only do I want to produce, but I also want to direct and be the storyteller behind it,'" he said. Before long, Hull was diving into combat chaplain stories and learning more about their experience on the battlefield. The project quickly and easily came together, with actor Chris Pratt — an outspoken supporter of veterans — joining forces as an executive producer. "He's a big military supporter," Hull said of Pratt. "He's a very faith-forward guy. He really has a true heartfelt interest in telling these stories, most of which have never been told." Hull is hoping "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey" helps open eyes to the experiences chaplains have "in the chaos of war." He shared that 419 chaplains have died throughout U.S. history, explaining that the roots of the chaplaincy date back to George Washington. "On the one hand, chaplains go into combat wearing a uniform, but not carrying a weapon," he said. "It's a profession that ... you do it for some higher calling." Chaplains do everything from saving lives on the battlefield to offering comfort to those who need it. Hull said they're "revered" within the military — for a reason. Chaplains' impact helped him realize just how much of a difference one person can make. "They're just present and they're dealing with these moments of life and death with soldiers, young and old — and families," he said. "And it's really intense, and it's really powerful, and it's very existential, and a chaplain may come from a particular faith, and all faiths are represented in the chaplain cores of all the different military branches." While chaplains have incredible experiences, Hull said there are also downsides and struggles, which are explored in the film. Some chaplains have even expressed facing "compassion fatigue" and other related issues. "When you go to war, you're going to come back a very different person," he said. "And war can leave scars on your soul." Ultimately, the movie offers what Hull said is a "true look at what these people, as humans, go through and the power that they have." Find out more about "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey" and get tickets here. Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn CBN News. Because Truth Matters™ Download the free CBN News App: http://cbnnews.com/app SUBSCRIBE to the CBN News Channel for more: http://youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline/?sub_confirmation=1 SUBSCRIBE to the QuickStart Newsletter by visiting quickstart.news SUBSCRIBE to the Quickstart Podcast. New episodes every morning at 7am: cbn.com/cbnnews/quickstart What's coming up next? Have a look at our program guide: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcbnnews%2Fnewschann&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description CBN features 24-hour TV news from a Christian perspective. The CBN News Channel provides independent news programming to an underserved audience to enlighten, entertain and inspire Christians around the world. Comments below do not necessarily reflect the views of CBN. Share this live feed with your friends and family: https://www.youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbnnews/ Like us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBNNews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbnnews/ Contact News Editors: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcontact%2Fcontact-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description Questions about other CBN programs: Visit WatchCBNNews.com or call (888) 700-7000. Questions about supporting CBN News? Visit JoinCBNNews.com or call (888) 700-7000 for more information. Questions about Helping the Home Front? Call: 800-700-7000 https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2F700club%2Fhelping-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description #breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews #christian #christianity #church #breakingnews #cbnnews