This is an accepted version of this page Matthew VanDyke (born June 11, 1979) is an American documentary filmmaker, foreign fighter, and former journalist.
VanDyke has publicly supported Arab spring revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa and has worked as a filmmaker in the Syrian Civil War and fought as an armed combatant.
[6][7][8] In 2002, VanDyke received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, graduating summa cum laude.
[12] In 2004, VanDyke graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service with a master's degree in Security Studies with a Middle East concentration.
[14][15][16] The first expedition from 2007 to 2009 was a solo trip through North Africa and the Middle East on a Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle that included journeys in Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
For the latter, he traveled with his friend American photographer Daniel Britt, with the final goal of spending a few weeks embedded to film the US military in Afghanistan.
[12][17][18] VanDyke made several close friends in Tripoli, Libya in 2008; those friendships were instrumental in making his decision to fight in the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
[9] In early August, after nearly five months of denials, the Gaddafi government finally admitted that VanDyke was in custody, but would not allow anyone to speak with or visit him, and would not reveal which prison he was being held in.
[40][41][42][43][44][45] VanDyke went to Ra's Lanuf, meeting with the commander of the Ali Hassan al-Jaber Brigade, who allowed them to enlist in the National Liberation Army.
When not in combat, Fonas and VanDyke often gave tours of the battlefield and assisted the international press to help them safely and reliably report on the Battle of Sirte.
[49] During one such mission they escorted CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey and his crew to the front lines in Sirte, at which time VanDyke was filmed in combat.
[2] Filming in Aleppo was dangerous because of artillery barrages, aircraft attacks, snipers, and the threat of kidnapping because of VanDyke's status as a public figure.
[63] Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution has also been shown at educational institutions and events around the world sponsored by organizations such as Amnesty International and The Frontline Club.
[72] VanDyke starred in Point and Shoot, a documentary film written and directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Marshall Curry.
[73][74] Point and Shoot follows VanDyke's four year motorcycle journey, his friendship with Nouri Fonas and other Libyans, and his transformation into a revolutionary during the conflict in Libya.
[75] The film explores VanDyke's background, motivations, and the formative experiences during his motorcycle journey that led to his transformation into a revolutionary during the conflict in Libya.
[83] On February 21, 2015, VanDyke announced the creation of Sons of Liberty International, a self-described non-profit security contracting firm, consisting of him and several veterans.
[85] Deflecting criticism that raising a Christian militia will only fuel sectarianism in the region,[8] he stated that the NPU would eventually enlist other religious groups as well.