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"I think that although we veterans may have
been casualties of the war,
our families are forever prisoners of war."
Jerry Martin, Vietnam Veteran
The pain of war stays with us for a lifetime. No one
knows that better than the veteran and the veteran’s loved ones, yet
each feels the other could never possibly understand their unique place
in the world. Whether thirty years ago or today, countless veterans
return home where they and their families face some of their most
challenging battles.
- How does the veteran’s experience with war
impact all of their lives?
- Is it possible to learn from the past to heal
the present - and to protect the future?
 is a full length documentary, driven by my personal
need to understand if it is possible to nurture the wounds of war with
love, and to more fully understand my twenty year relationship with a
Vietnam Veteran, which did not survive. My mission is to heal, and in
the doing of it, hope that it will heal others. How could we have done
it better? What works and what doesn’t when facing life’s challenges
together, where war has left an indelible footprint? My veteran
would say, "It doesn’t mean anything; it was just one year of many."
But the evidence was all around us to suggest otherwise.
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is currently
in the early stages of production. We will
examine the fears, triumphs and challenges of Vietnam Veterans and
their families, looking for the best examples we could find of what
works. The purpose of the film is to bring awareness to the newest
generation of veterans and families, those facing the impact of the War
in Iraq,
by uncovering lessons learned from those who experienced war first hand.
- What
have we learned?
- How
can we share that knowledge to help our newest generation of veterans
and their families?
Although April 30, 2005, marked the thirtieth anniversary of
the war’s end, its impact still resonates. While many
vets have moved on successfully with their lives in the aftermath
of the war, others have not. For those who have not, “coming home” was
and continues to be, a difficult and emotional experience for all
involved.
explores the continuing
legacy of the Vietnam War as expressed in the lives of five veterans
and their families, and looks ahead at how this new awareness can help
our veterans who are experiencing the war in Iraq. The film provides
guidance for the tough challenges they will be facing in the future. Beyond
the Wall does not attempt to retell the story of war, but rather
examines the lasting impact of the war’s experience.
- What
are the strategies used by other veterans and their loved ones to
successfully grapple with the experience of war?
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