Last summer Warner Bros.
released director Steven Quale’s Into the Storm, which was loosely
based on the EF-5 (Enhanced Fujita Scale) tornado that devastated Moore,
Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. The film,
with largely a no-name cast, was a surprise at the box office as it delivered
the non-stop visceral thrill of being caught in the path of one of the most
powerful tornadoes ever recorded.
News arrived this week
from VCI Entertainment that the real-deal will be heading to DVD on June
2. That’s the street date for
documentary filmmaker Travis Palmer’s Dove Foundation Approved Where
was God?, a detailed examination of the events of that day — and the
aftermath — as lived by, and told by those were there when the twister hit
their town with an impact that has been measured as having eight-times the power
of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima at the close of World War II.
24 people died, over 350
were injured, countless farm animals were swept away, including at least 100
horses at boarding and training facilities in the area and everything in its
path was obliterated (over 1,100 homes destroyed). The
tornado touched down around three in the afternoon and it would remain on the
ground for nearly forty minutes — a track of devastation measured 17 miles long
when the “event” finally ended.
It was an unthinkable —
an unimaginable — experience, even for those residents of Moore, Oklahoma (and the
surrounding small communities) who had experienced their share of tornadoes in
the past.
The stories that Palmer
has recorded hit close to home … and yet, in spite of it all, they are uplifting. As a word of warning (advice), have the
Kleenex handy … this is one emotional and heartfelt ride. There were heroes that day, people of faith,
who were willing to sacrifice it all to help others, including the teachers at
two elementary schools that took direct hits — their courage and quick-thinking
saved every child!
Bonus features on the DVD
release of Where was God? include video sessions with the director, producer
and members of the crew, plus a making-of featurette.
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