In 2007, I gave everything I had through my company AEMedia to support a film that few were ready to face: “Redacted”, directed by the legendary Brian De Palma. It was not just a film — it was a painful mirror of the horrors of war in Iraq. Uncomfortable. Raw. Necessary.
On September 8, 2007, at the 64th Venice International Film Festival, that commitment to truth was honored with the Future Film Festival Digital Award and the Silver Lion for Best Director.
But more than the awards, I remember the feeling: a deep certainty that truth, even when difficult, is the foundation for peace.
We must have the courage to speak the unspeakable — not to divide, but to heal. Not to judge, but to remember. Only through truth can peace begin.
Today, as the world continues to suffer from conflict, this experience reminds me that art, courage, and faith can unite us in our shared responsibility to build a future without war.
Peace begins where truth is honored.