Documentary filmmaker Jordan Brady is no stranger to comedy: the director of acclaimed documentaries I Am Comic and I Am Road Comic, he’s spent years profiling performers from Tim Allen and Tom Arnold to Maria Bamford and Doug Benson, exploring their lives at home and on the road and capturing better than almost anyone what it’s like to actually be a comedian.
Brady’s latest film I Am Battle Comic, is a natural third chapter in his documentary trilogy. It follows stand-ups including Dave Attell, Wayne Federman, and George Lopez, among others, who head overseas to entertain the troops — something a surprising number of stand-ups do, but that’s rarely really explored.
To best understand what it’s like for comedians to travel to completely new, potentially dangerous places, to perform for incredibly deserving and exhausted military members across the globe, Brady set out alongside them. He and his crew went to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait, observing what it’s like to try to make our troops laugh in some of the least funny places on earth.
In an interview with Little Black Book, Brady explained why he chose “battle comics” as the subject for this film; simply put, “[they] can save lives.”
“It sounds dramatic but it only really sunk in when a staff sergeant explained the situation to us. These men and women getting fired at daily, some have lost a buddy, and they’re missing their families really bad. Some are even thinking of taking their own lives. So, if we, as comedians, could take their minds off what they were facing for one moment through laughter, then that was just one small way that we could give back.”
Brady also talks about the moment that brought tears to George Lopez’s eyes, and how he had to adapt to low-budget filming conditions on the fly.
I Am Battle Comic is currently anticipating a wide release; until then, check the film’s schedule to catch a special screening.
