Winter Soldier at Guild, Nov. 4-10

From Viet Nam Veterans Against the War:
Sunday, NOVEMBER 4 - Thursday, November 10
Special showing, Wed. Nov. 9, 8 PM with panel of Viet Nam Veterans Against the War activists
Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave., Albuquerque, NM
255-1848, www.guildcinema.com

WINTER SOLDIER (4:00, 6:00, 8:00* *NOTE: No 8:00 PM show Tuesday, November 8): A documentary chronicle of the extraordinary Winter Soldier Investigation conducted by Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in Detroit during the winter of 1971. Produced and Directed by Winterfilm Collective in association with Vietnam Veterans Against the War - 1972 - 95 minutes

Veterans from all branches of the US military came from across the country to speak out about the atrocities they had committed and witnessed while stationed in Vietnam.

Recognizing the urgency and historical importance of the investigation, a remarkable group of independent filmmakers came together to document the veterans¹ testimonies. Calling themselves Winterfilm, their collective, including David Grubin, Barbara Kopple, Roger Phenix, Benay Rubenstein and many others, some of whom would go on to be the seminal documentary filmmakers of our time, recorded the proceedings.

Over the course of four days and nights, using donated equipment and film stock, they shot footage of more than 125 veterans (including a very young John Kerry). 

These men, who represented every major combat unit that saw action in Vietnam, gave eyewitness testimony to war crimes and atrocities they either participated in or witnessed.  Eight months was spent distilling the footage and adding archival materials, resulting in WINTER SOLDIER.

Because the proceedings went virtually unreported by the media, WINTER SOLDIER remains the only audiovisual record of this historic turning point in American history.  Yet after unanimous acclaim at international festival screenings, the film was seldom seen in the USA with virtually no screenings outside of New York City.  As critic Amos Vogel wrote, "this is a film that must be shown in prime time evening on national television, and never will be." He was correct - even Public Television declined to show it nationally.

Now, nearly thirty-five years after the hearings in Detroit, the veterans' courage in testifying and their desire to prevent further atrocities and regain their own humanity remain deeply moving, and provide a dramatic intensity that makes WINTER SOLDIER an unforgettable experience.

It reminds us that recent reports of wartime atrocities are not isolated incidents, as the U.S. media often reports. Milestone Films has resurrected this all-but-lost work, and our screenings are the first ever in the Southwest.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9 ONLY: Please join us for a panel discussion of the film, the issues surrounding it, and current events after the 8:00 PM screening. Included with regular admission.