Austin Film Festival 2006

Regional Premiere Made in the cinema verite style of the director's previous and Academy Award nominated film, Genghis Blues, Beyond the Call tells the story of three middle aged men whose idea of adventure is taking desperately needed food and medicine into some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth: the front lines of war. Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman are former soldiers and self-styled Knights of Malta. In 1995, they formed Knightsbridge International, a unique humanitarian aid organization with the motto "High Adventure and Service to Humanity." Their specialty is going where death from landmines, bullets, or bombs is as frequent as death from hunger, disease, or the elements. They are a fusion of Mother Theresa and Indiana Jones. Their personal convictions and courage drive them to places like Afghanistan, Albania, Chechnya, Cambodia, Rwanda and the southern Philippines, often before other aid organizations arrive. The three are still on the ground when other aid organizations deem things too dangerous and pull out. Artis explains: "We're not there to change anybody's politics, we're not in the God business, and we pay our own way."