Shining Moment

by Director Matia Karrell

We all strive for that one moment that defines the rest of our lives. That moment we will always be remembered for when we fulfilled a dream, went beyond expectations of others and most importantly ourselves.

For a group of women pilots, the WASP was their all too brief shining moment. Ann Wood Kelly ( one of the first 25 American women pilots to fly for the ATA) once wrote, "They have forgotten us."

No Ann we have not forgotten you. You will have your shining moment again. - FlyGirls Team

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960.0"] WASP Lorraine Z. Rodgers (left) and Elaine D. Harmon salute during the playing of Taps at an Arlington National Cemetery ceremony honoring women service members. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="718.0"] "She taught others to see what she could: the beauty of flying, of service, of the idealism of a young woman seeking to serve her nation as a pilot." --Albert Lewis Jr. of Arlington, Va., on his mother, Dorothy Lewis [/caption]

FlyGirls begins its tribute to unsung heroes through crowdfunding

From the Director:

We Begin our Tribute to the UNSUNG HEROES.

Our crowd funding campaign officially begins today. It is a grassroots effort where our fan’s support of even $1 will make a difference and create a groundswell so we cannot be ignored. The time is now, for the first time, to see this important chapter of our nation’s history through the eyes of women who served our country.

https://www.funddreamer.com/campaigns/flygirls

We are going for 100 backers today, Monday, as we are going to the press today, and your donation proves we have an audience.

This is a story about this country and what it was trying to become. A country of nation-states was finding its place in the world. The war broke down barriers for some of its men and its women, lifting the veil to see a promise of the possibilities. When their country no longer needed these women, their dreams and hopes were crushed. They were the future and it could not be denied forever. It is up to us! Thank you.

https://www.funddreamer.com/campaigns/flygirls

FlyGirls Director Matia Karrell on FlyGirls

"Going through my mother's things one day I found these two photographs. I had no idea what group or organization these women belonged to, or what the uniform meant. My mother was no longer around to ask, so I began researching. I scanned the pictures and sent them back to Boston but no one could tell me anything. I did find out that the MWDC stood for Massachusetts Women's Defense Core. It was a volunteer group during WWII. Boston, because it was a harbor city, needed these women as plane spotters.

How was it that I had never heard about these women? It turns out that there was a lot of women's military history that I knew nothing about.

The power of storytelling can be seen in some of the most memorable mini-series and films. Band of Brothers (2001), Island at War (2004), Flags of our Fathers (2006), Days of Glory (2006), Red Tails (2012), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), American Sniper (2014). Narrative storytelling can humanize a time in history that makes that era come alive. It is by experiencing the characters’ lives through their eyes that makes us cry, laugh, or even scream back at the screen. This is palpable storytelling. This is what we want for FlyGirls."

Meet Matia Karrell, FlyGirls Series Creator/Director

Matia Karrell is an Academy Award Nominee, Fulbright Fellow, John Wells Directing Fellow, to name a few of her awards. 

"My love for these women started when I found an old photograph of my mother in her WW II volunteer uniform. She was part of a group of plane-spotters along the East coast. Then I discovered another group of women, they weren’t watching for planes…they were flying them. 

There were over 1000 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), but why weren't they mentioned in my History text books or WW II films? Perhaps because the U.S. Government classified their service as "top secret" for 35 years. They were not granted Veteran's status, and the 38 women who lost their lives in service of their country were not honored as U.S. Military personnel. 

I began a quest to tell their story. I reached out to the pilots who were still living. One of these pilots was Violet Cowden, who I met through a mutual friend. Violet died at the age of 94 in 2011. One year before, she was still flying. I made a promise to Violet before she died. I promised that I would to tell her story and the story of The WASP.

After 20 years of research I know the time has come to make the Women Air Force Service Pilots' story known not just to the military, but to the world. We will not let them be forgotten".