Film Festival Helps Veterans Heal Through Scuba Diving

Kyle Maddux-Lawrence walked into the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center ten years ago and knew he'd found something special. That visit sparked a filmmaking journey that would eventually help save veterans' lives.

Maddux-Lawrence returns to Michigan's Thunder Bay International Film Festival this week with two new documentaries. The five-day event connects filmmakers with audiences who want to see their work, and for him, those connections have become life-changing.

His latest film, "The Weight: Coming up for Air," tells the story of three Purple Heart recipients who traveled to Alpena, Michigan last summer. These combat veterans struggled with daily tasks due to emotional and physical wounds from their service.

Then they met Warfighter Scuba, a nonprofit that teaches wounded veterans to scuba dive. Over one week at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the three veterans learned to explore shipwrecks beneath the Great Lakes surface.

The transformation surprised everyone. Veterans who arrived barely able to function left reconnected with themselves and others. "That trip quite literally changed their lives," Maddux-Lawrence said.

The film idea came from a connection Maddux-Lawrence made at a previous festival. He met Kevin Sheard from Warfighter Scuba's board, and they stayed in touch for years before collaborating on the documentary.

His second film, "Sanctuary: Beneath the Surface," shows the hidden work that makes these healing experiences possible. Marine sanctuary staff and volunteers create opportunities for organizations like Warfighter Scuba to reach people who need them most.

The Ripple Effect

The Thunder Bay Film Festival does more than showcase movies. It creates networks between filmmakers, nonprofits, and community organizations that continue working together long after the credits roll.

Maddux-Lawrence's first festival film covered a student robotics competition at the sanctuary. Each project since has built on relationships from previous years, expanding the circle of people working to share the Great Lakes' stories.

The veterans who learned to dive had never heard of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary before. Now they're telling everyone they know about the place that helped them heal.

Warfighter Scuba can reach more veterans because of the documentary's visibility. The sanctuary gains recognition for its therapeutic potential beyond historical preservation. And Maddux-Lawrence continues building his career while spotlighting causes that matter.

"The hidden value in the sanctuary is to make connections with organizations like Warfighter Scuba that change lives and save lives," he said. "You can't put a price on that."

The festival runs through January 25, giving other filmmakers the same chance to build connections that transform their work and their communities.