HEROIC premieres at Newport Beach Film Festival

The documentary HEROIC: Sabin Howard Sculpts the National WWI Memorial had its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Oct. 17. The film follows the nine-year creation of America’s National World War I Memorial centerpiece and looks at the cost of making commemorative art today.

Why it matters: - HEROIC puts the making of America’s National World War I Memorial on screen at a moment when the U.S. is in its 250th anniversary year. - The film examines how Americans remember military service, history and sacrifice. - The documentary argues that commemorative art still carries meaning long after a dedication ceremony.

What happened: - HEROIC: Sabin Howard Sculpts the National WWI Memorial had its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17. - Director Traci L. Slatton made the feature-length documentary. - The film follows master sculptor Sabin Howard’s nine-year effort to create A Soldier’s Journey, the bronze centerpiece of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. - The documentary centers on the artistic and personal stakes of building a national monument.

The details: - A Soldier’s Journey is a 58.5-foot bronze relief. - The sculpture was unveiled in September 2024. - The work depicts 38 larger-than-life figures. - The figures trace a soldier’s path from departure through combat and homecoming. - The film goes behind the finished monument to show the craftsmanship, production demands, deadlines and sacrifice behind the project. - The documentary was filmed across years of work. - The film also looks at what it takes to build a national monument in the modern era. - In the film’s materials, Superhuman Film Productions is identified as the independent production company behind HEROIC. - The production company says its developing feature projects include adaptations of Traci L. Slatton’s novels The Botticelli Affair and The Love of My (Other) Life. - The project’s website is More information.

Between the lines: - The documentary is not just a profile of a sculpture. It is also a record of the tensions involved in turning a large public artwork into a finished national symbol. - Slatton had an unusual vantage point as director, sculpture project manager and Howard’s wife. - That role gave the film access, but it also created pressure because the needs of the project did not always match the needs of the movie. - After seeing the film ahead of the premiere, Lee Roderick, who was preparing a review for The Hollywood Times, said: “I watched the entire film and was inspired.”

What's next: - HEROIC will continue its festival run and public rollout after the Newport Beach premiere. - The film’s subject matter gives it added relevance during the nation’s semiquincentennial year. - The documentary invites broader discussion of how commemorative works shape public memory beyond their unveiling.

The bottom line: - HEROIC turns a nine-year monument project into a story about art, memory and national identity.