Dear Friend,
June 28 we’re doing a Sneak Preview of our first Veterans Journey Home film: Kalani’s Story, along with another film about the impact of Agent Orange on U.S. and Vietnamese Veterans. Both films are part of a consortium called Veterans Stories United. Come out and join us! See details in attached flyer…Later this year, we’ll be releasing all four consortium films together as a traveling Veterans Film Festival. Check it out!
Army Tweets ‘How Has Serving Impacted You?’
Gets Thousands of Responses About the Horrors of War
Click here to read full story.
Maxine Hong Kingston receives Presidential Medal of Arts award in 2013
Although I’m not a Veteran, I’ve had the privilege of being part of the Veterans Writing Group for 3 years, founded by Maxine Hong Kingston. (Maxine was kind enough to read and endorse my book AT DEATH DO US PART.) On May 28 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by San Francisco State University. As she was unable to attend, this is the speech written and delivered on her behalf by Mike Wong:
Maxine Hong Kingston sends her thanks for this honor. She asked me to speak as a member of her Veterans Writing Group for the past 26 years. In 1993, Maxine invited a group of veterans to a day long writing, reading, and meditation workshop. The group began with mostly Viet Nam combat veterans including former officers and members of elite units, and grew to include veterans of other armies and other wars, civilians who had experienced war, women and others who had suffered traumatic abuse, civilians who had refused war, and army veterans like myself who had refused orders to war and went to jail, exile, or both. Our Veterans Writers Group has inspired other artists to start similar groups to share their skills with veterans to express themselves and heal as well. What Maxine started is a movement that will outlive our lifetimes, and be one model of how peace can begin within and inspire change in the world. As Maxine said at the ending of her “Fifth Book of Peace,” “…here’s what to do during war: In a time of destruction, create something. A poem. A parade. A community. A school. A vow. A moral principle. One peaceful moment.”
My Friend Kahil El-Zabar
My friend Kahil El-Zabar (left) playing with David Murray. I met Kahil in 1995 when I had the privilege of joining my friend Dwayne Johnson-Cochran to follow Kahil’s quartet to Berlin and Hamburg to film a series of concerts. Talk about lucky! I felt so blessed… He’s on tour with Murray for Black Music Month…
“Men Are People Too” – An article by Andrew Yarrow
I’ve been so heartened to find an ally in helping people understand men’s issues. Andrew Yarrow is a former New York Times reporter and an affiliate faculty member in the George Mason University history department. His recent article in the Baltimore Sun “Men Are People Too” features a direct challenge to Democratic nominees to address a number of men’s issues.
DocuMentoring Studio
We’re still looking for a few good “Fellows!” Warrior Films is bringing at least one new filmmaker into the company fold this year. We’re looking to support the next generation of great, socially committed filmmakers. That said, we’re not looking for beginners. We’re especially interested in mid-career filmmakers and encourage women, people of color, GLBTQ, and “othered” people to apply.