Private Project

One Life to Give

In the dawn of the American Revolutionary War, Benjamin Tallmadge, a schoolmaster, answers the call of his old friend John Chester, a Colonel in Washington’s Army. Tallmadge becomes enthralled in the Revolution, and rushes to recruit his best friend, Nathan Hale, but Hale is reluctant. Over the course of this historically accurate film, Tallmadge, Hale, and Chester face the perils and hardships of the Revolution, and must choose whether to make the ultimate sacrifice for their home and country. One Life to Give is a tale of heroes, war, and espionage.

  • Benji Dunaief
    Director
  • Benji Dunaief
    Writer
  • Michael Tessler
    Writer
  • Michael Tessler
    Producer
  • Dave Morrissey Jr.
    Key Cast
    "Benjamin Tallmadge"
  • Hans Paul Hendrickson
    Key Cast
    "Nathan Hale"
  • Jonathan Rabeno
    Key Cast
    "John Chester"
  • David Gianopoulos
    Key Cast
    "George Washington"
    Air Force One, American Horror Story
  • Andrew Stavis
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Student
  • Genres:
    Historical, Drama, Period Piece
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 26, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    BM URSA Mini Pro, CinemaDNG
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Benji Dunaief

Benji Dunaief is a student at Emerson College in Boston, MA, studying film directing and cinematography. He grew up in Philadelphia but was born in Manhattan, which is his excuse for being a Mets fan. Benji has been making films since before he can remember and has no plans to stop anytime soon. He directed his first feature film, One Life to Give, in June of 2017 with the help of TBR Newsmedia and some friends from Emerson, and is currently in pre-production on several follow-up films.

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Director Statement

When I was first brought in to write and direct a film about the Culper Spy Ring, I knew it would be the most important film I've made to date. The Culper Spy Ring was essential in supplying General Washington with the intel needed to win the American Revolution, and "One Life to Give" depicts the untold story of the heroes behind the Ring's inception in the early days of the war. It was incredibly important to me to make this film as historically accurate as possible, and in writing the script, we drew upon the actual writings of our characters to decipher their real motivations, personalities, and sentiments, as well as to incorporate true historical quotes. In making this film, I hope that we can not only bring these unsung heroes of the Revolution to light, but educate and inspire audiences about their perils and heroics.