Role: Colonel Robert A. Henderson
Filming: May - June, 2005 (Poughkeepsie, NY)
U.S. (DVD) Release: September 29, 2006
Director: Larry Atlas"The Onyx Project is his story."Synopsis: Robert A. Henderson, Colonel, U.S. Army, commanded First Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Until March of 2005 he had overall command of all Army special operations units and missions in Southern Afghanistan. His headquarters were located at Kandahar Airport. The Onyx Project is his story. As Henderson unfolds the history of the mission he named Onyx, he speaks of Islam and Christianity, of Mideast history and culture, and of our own political scene. He talks in depth of the military, both of its past and traditions as well as his own modern area of expertise in Special Operations. He explores his attitudes about President Bush, both before and since the Onyx mission, and of the impact his thoughts--and actions--may have had on his own life, both professional and personal. The Onyx Project is also our story--the story of a nation divided, our inner conversation, like Henderson's, a battleground of faith versus reason, tradition versus new realities, the politics of war versus the war of values Henderson himself has lived out--and shares with us in these hours. Cast:
David Strathairn .... Colonel Robert A. Henderson
Henderson's Wife .... Ann Matthews
Henderson's Father .... Ted Goodman
Henderson's Mother .... Carol Goodman
Captain Jack Caldwell .... Ed Ramirez
SFC Anthony Borders .... Vincent George
W.O. William Pennington .... Bill Bomba
SFC Edward Whistler .... John Merritt
SSG Walter Cade .... Kevin Carey
MSG James Montgomery .... John Milkovich
SSG Roy Walker .... Nigel Barnett Favorite Quotes:
• "We seek to innovate but it is tradition that binds us together." - Col. Henderson Notes:
• The Onyx Project is the world's first hyper-linked film--a fully browseable, truly interactive movie that uses the patent-pending video story-telling architecture called NAV, invented and owned by Web River Media, Inc.
• David's real parents-in-law, Ted and Carol Goodman, portray his character's parents in the film. His son, Ebbe, also served as the NAV Software Assistant for the project.
• David and writer/director Larry Atlas previously worked together on the play The Yield of the Long Bond.
• The Onyx Project contains approximately five hours of video and literally millions of possible viewer pathways--and therefore experiences, each one different from every other, even though all viewers are visiting the same video world. You must have Windows XP and Quicktime to watch the DVD. Production:
Read the official Press Release and download the Production Info, curtesy of The Onyx Project LLC. Critical Praise & Commentary:
(David On His Role:)
• "I thought to approach the material much in the same way I felt Henderson himself did, as an innocent, as perhaps a child might search through the scrapbooks and relics and 'toys' of his life. And even though it is obviously a highly personal journey--since he is essentially holding himself accountable for who and why he 'is,' as well as for the deaths of his men--I felt that a certain amount of objectivity, almost as if he were reporting it, was important, to present this courageous and honorable accounting." -David Strathairn, 2006 Related Links:
Official U.S. Site (off site)
Director Larry Atlas - The Onyx Project Blog |
