The mission of the 14 Days Project is to provide a greater awareness of the global community through the unique marriage of extraordinary film and photography; allowing everybody to develop their own ideas for creating lasting and meaningful change. Building a bridge to the world around us by listening to others tell their own story. The result. Connection. Connection of people from around the world, all over the world, and forever.

Alamogordo - Day 10

August 27, 2004

0200 in the morning and wake with a dry cough, sore throat and thoughts. Our vehicles propel down the business route 1 into town. The town into which we have descended from the high desert is inauspicious. The main street is untidy strewn with debris and tree branches clearly swept across the town by high winds. We park up at the back of the motel. The crew drag themselves into the hotel hoping to gain two hours of sleep.

0415 and I wake up two colleagues for a briefing with the commanding officer of the Holloman Air force base. Here we meet the commanding officer who introduces us to Stealth pilots in the briefing room. They discuss a private fly by that I have worked on for months with local authorities. I am quietly exuberant as he clarifies the event. Two by two formations flying low over our vehicles. We return to town and wake the crew from their slumber at the local Motel.

They are disorientated and walk not in straight lines but pitching from side to side. It takes fifteen minutes to drive to the Las Cruses road and park on the hard shoulder positioned at the end of the runway. It is desolate and borders the famous White Sands national monument. Traces of white sand occasionally come our way blinding us temporarily. Within minutes aircraft fly over in packs. Bradley shouts for his tripod as they continue to come and go. We marvel at their altitude, some 400 feet. Under bright blue skies now we can see the pilots as they sharply bank our way. My crew is hysterical. A once in a lifetime event for them. I am full of pride at the enormity of the event. After forty-five minutes we return to the town with stories to tell and smiles and grins on our faces.

Apparently, a powerful storm had ripped through the area.

'One storm will put all this back you see,' a local confessed as we maneuvered our caravan of vehicles into the Otero Fairgrounds car park.

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In loving memory - Ben Pritchard

We are so very sad to announce that our beloved friend and colleague Ben Pritchard left us recently. Farewell to a dear and sweet man who touched our lives so deeply. Our heartfelt condolences goes out to his family and friends. His passing is not his end; he lives on in all our hearts and will always be an extraordinary part of this project called 14 Days.

This wonderful project and its beautiful imagery both in stills and film is dedicated to Ben who was intrinsic to its success. We had the honor of spending time with you but it was not nearly enough.

"Your brilliance and passion for life will be missed by us all"

David William Gibbons, Richard Knapp, Dana Hursey - June 2007

Memorial for Ben Pritchard

We recognize the effort and travail that creating worthwhile films requires; we recognize the talent and hard work that characterized Ben Pritchard. Through unsurpassed dedication and effort, Ben earned the respect of everyone with whom he worked. Though he traveled the road fame and fortune for only a short time, the promise of this young, energetic, and talented man was clear to all who knew him. Ben’s contribution to the two 14 Days documentaries is etched in the memories of everyone who worked with him. As a colleague of ours in the Mad Brit film organization, we honor him.

We celebrate his life,
Donn Finn, Rocky Lang, and Sam Smiley