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Contacts:  POV  Communications:  212-­‐989-­‐7425.  Emergency  contact:  646-­‐729-­‐4748    POV:  Cathy  Fisher,  cfisher@pov.org,  212-­‐989-­‐7425  POV  online  pressroom:  www.pbs.org/pov/pressroom    

Childhood  Friends  Leave  Struggling  Michigan  Town  to  Fight  in  Afghanistan  In  POV’s  “Where  Soldiers  Come  From,”  Encore  Broadcast    

Thursday,  Sept.  6,  2012  on  PBS;  Streams  Online  Sept.  7–Sept.  20  

Emmy-­‐Nominated  Film  Is  an  Intimate  Portrait  of  the  Effect  One  National  Guard  Unit’s  Deployment  Has  on  a  Group  Of  Longtime  Friends  and  the  Small  Town  They  Leave  Behind  

A  Co-­‐production  of  ITVS  

 

“A  quietly  devastating  documentary  about  growing  up  all  too  quickly.  .  .  .  In  its  compassionate,  modest  gaze,  the  real  cost  of  distant  political  decisions  is  softly  illuminated  .  .  .”—  Jeannette  Catsoulis,  The  New  York  Times    It  wasn’t  long  after  Dominic  Fredianelli,  a  sensitive,  artistic  high  school  graduate  in  a  remote  town  in  northern  Michigan,  signed  up  for  the  National  Guard  that  his  buddies  started  following  his  lead.  In  exchange  for  just  one  weekend  of  training  a  month,  they  would  earn  a  $20,000  signing  bonus  and    much-­‐needed  college  tuition  support.  Before  he  knew  it,  10  friends  were  in  the  group.  They  knew  there  was  a  chance  that  they’d  be  sent  to  war  sometime  during  their  six-­‐year  stint,  but,  as  Cole  Smith,  Dominic’s  best  friend  said,  “I  wasn’t  really  doing  anything;  my  buddies  had  already  joined.  .  .  .  I  figured,  ‘Twenty  Gs,  one  weekend  a  month,  let’s  do  it!’”    Thus  begins  director  Heather  Courtney’s  film  Where  Soldiers  Come  From,  which  paints  an  intimate  portrait  of  these  friends’  four-­‐year  journey  from  teenagers  stuck  in  Michigan’s  Upper  Peninsula  to  soldiers  in  Afghanistan  and  back.  The  documentary,  which  premiered  on  PBS’  POV  (Point  of  View)  in  2011,  will  have  an  encore  broadcast  on  Thursday,  Sept.  6,  2012  at  10  p.m.  (Check  local  listings.)  It  will  then  stream  in  its  entirety  from  Sept.  7–Sept.  20  on  the  POV  website,  www.pbs.org/pov.        American  television’s  longest-­‐running  independent  documentary  series,  POV  is  the  winner  of  a  Special  Emmy  Award  for  Excellence  in  Television  Documentary  Filmmaking,  two  International  Documentary  Association  Awards  for  Best  Continuing  Series  and  the  National  Association  of  Latino  Independent  Producers’  2011  Award  for  Corporate  Commitment  to  Diversity.    Where  Soldiers  Come  From  is  nominated  for  a  2012  News  &  Documentary  Emmy  Award  for  Outstanding  Continuing  Coverage  of  a  News  Story:  Long  Form.  Shooting  in  vérité  style,  Courtney  focuses  on  three  of  the  friends  —  Dominic,  who  takes  art  classes  and  paints  large  murals  in  the  abandoned  buildings  that  belonged  to  a  once-­‐thriving  copper  mining  industry;  Cole,  the  comedian  in  the  group;  and  Matt  Beaudoin  (“Bodi”),  who  has  a  history  of  military  service  in  his  family  and  is  proud  to  serve  his  country.  They  change  from  carefree  teenagers  who  spend  their  days  swimming  in  Lake  Superior  and  drinking  at  bonfires  to  soldiers  getting  hit  by  homemade  bombs  in  Afghanistan  and  combat  veterans  dealing  with  traumatic  brain  injury  (TBI)  and  post-­‐traumatic  stress  disorder  (PTSD).    Where  Soldiers  Come  From  starts  in  Hancock,  the  friends’  and  Courtney’s  hometown.  The  director  films  the  guys  and  their  families  in  their  everyday  lives,  revealing  the  economic  realities  that  contribute  to  their  decision  to  enlist  and  creating  poignant  portraits  of  a  community  and  its  people.  In  December  

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2008,  the  unit  leaves  for  Afghanistan,  where  the  men  spend  most  of  their  days  sweeping  the  countryside  in  tanks  and  on  foot  looking  for  improvised  explosive  devices  (IEDs).  Armored  vehicles    shield  the  soldiers  from  the  brunt  of  the  damage,  but  the  men  are  still  shaken  each  time  they  uncover  a  new  bomb  and  receive  concussions  and  other  injuries  that  seem  mild  at  first,  but  have  a  cumulative  effect.  While  the  soldiers  look  for  bombs,  their  families  and  loved  ones  back  home  try  to  get  through  their  daily  routines.    The  friends  are  often  perplexed  about  their  reason  for  being  in  Afghanistan,  and  they  grow  increasingly  disillusioned  with  their  mission.  What  they  find  is  not  the  glory  of  battle  as  depicted  in  war  movies  and  on  television,  but  rather  work  that  likely  wouldn’t  exist  if  they  weren’t  there.  The  IEDs  have  been  planted  to  kill  U.S.  soldiers.  So,  one  of  the  guys  asks,  if  the  soldiers  weren’t  there,  would  there  be  any  need  for  them?    Although  members  of  the  group  all  suffer  physical  distress,  their  emotional  reactions  vary.  Bodi  starts  out  loving  his  job,  which  he  calls  “the  most  exciting”  because  he  gets  blown  up  the  most;  he  later  admits  that  the  war  has  turned  him  into  “a  racist  American”  who  hates  everything  about  Afghanistan.  Cole  provides  comic  relief  with  good-­‐natured  wisecracks,  but  internalizes  his  stress  and  develops  an  ulcer  and  adult  asthma.  Dominic  discovers  empathy  for  the  Afghanis,  particularly  the  children,  that  he  believes  have  been  forced  into  bad  situations  by  economic  necessity.  “Before  I  came  to  Afghanistan,  I  knew  about  compassion,  but  never  really  felt  it.”    Where  Soldiers  Come  From  continues  to  follow  the  young  men  back  in  their  hometown  after  deployment,  where  new  problems  begin  to  surface.  Dominic  starts  to  pick  up  the  pieces  through  his  art  and  starts  a  giant  graffiti-­‐style  wall  mural  with  the  support  of  a  caring  professor.  However,  he  describes  himself  as  “an  antisocial  nutcase,”  and  his  girlfriend,  Ashley  Baker,  must  now  cope  with  an  intense  anger  she  had  never  seen  in  him  before.  Cole  enrolls  in  a  local  college,  but  struggles  with  breathing  problems  and  obstacles  to  receiving  the  tuition  reimbursement  he  was  promised.  Bodi,  who  experiences  insomnia  and  headaches,  says,  “Coming  home  is  harder  than  going  over  there.  I’d  rather  be  back  in  Afghanistan.  Life  is  easier.  All  you  have  to  worry  about  is  getting  blown  up.”      Bodi  and  Dominic  both  suffer  from  what  has  been  called  the  new  signature  wound  of  Iraq  and  Afghanistan,  TBI,  the  long-­‐term  effects  of  which  can  range  from  headaches,  dizziness  and  vertigo  to  problems  with  memory  and  reasoning.  In  2010,  the  military  estimated  that  115,000  troops  have  suffered  mild  traumatic  brain  injury  since  the  wars  began,  though  some  studies  put  the  number  at  several  times  that,  and  tens  of  thousands  are  estimated  to  suffer  from  ongoing  symptoms.      Some  soldiers  are  rendered  unable  to  drive  a  car,  read  a  newspaper  article  or  help  their  children  with  their  homework,  and  according  to  a  study  in  June  2010  by  NPR  and  ProPublica,  many  of  those  troops  who  suffer  from  TBI  receive  little  or  no  treatment  for  lingering  problems.1  For  National  Guard  soldiers,  it  can  be  even  harder  —  although  they  are  eligible  for  Veterans  Administration  benefits,  it  is  more  difficult  to  find  support  since  they  are  not  on  a  military  base  like  active-­‐duty  soldiers  and  are  often  in  rural  areas  like  northern  Michigan.      “Where  Soldiers  Come  From  is  an  American  story  about  growing  up  and  trying  to  change  your  situation  without  privilege  or  resources,”  says  Courtney.  “It’s  about  the  people  who  fight  our  wars  and  the  communities  and  families  they  come  from.    

1  Military  Still  Failing  To  Diagnose,  Treat  Brain  Injuries  by  T.  Christian  Miller  and  Daniel  Zwerdling,  NPR,  June  8,  2010.  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127402993    

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“I  felt  it  was  important  to  follow  these  guys  for  a  long  time  before  they  ever  became  soldiers  so  that  the  viewer  would  really  know  them  and  their  families,”  she  continues.  “For  these  young  men  and  their  loved  ones,  the  war  doesn’t  end  when  they  come  home.  I  hope  my  film  can  help  people  better  understand  the  war  at  home  —  the  one  that  affects  the  parents,  girlfriends  and  loved  ones  left  behind  when  soldiers  are  deployed  and  the  one  that  continues  when  they  come  back  and  try  to  start  their  lives  again.”        Where  Soldiers  Comes  From  is  a  production  of  Quincy  Hill  Films  and  ITVS.      About  the  Filmmaker:  Heather  Courtney,  Director/Producer  Heather  Courtney  is  an  award-­‐winning  documentary  filmmaker  based  in  Austin,  Texas  and  Washington,  D.C.  Where  Soldiers  Come  From  has  won  multiple  awards  and  was  a  pick  on  several  “Top  10  Films  of  2011”  lists,  including  Salon.com,  which  ranked  it  No.  3  for  best  nonfiction  television.    Previously,  Courtney  directed  and  produced  “Letters  from  the  Other  Side,”  broadcast  on  more  than    60  PBS  stations;  and  “Los  Trabajadores,”  broadcast  on  PBS’  Independent  Lens  and  winner  of  the  IDA  Award  for  Best  Student  Documentary  and  the  Audience  Award  at  SWSX.  In  addition,  she  was  a    co-­‐director  on  Roger  Weisberg’s  2006  POV  documentary,  Critical  Condition.        Courtney  spent  eight  years  as  a  photographer  and  writer  for  the  United  Nations  and  refugee  and  immigrant-­‐rights  organizations,  working  in  such  places  as  Rwanda  after  the  1994  genocide.  She  holds  a  master’s  degree  in  film  production  from  The  University  of  Texas  at  Austin  and  is  a  recipient  of  the  prestigious  United  States  Artists  fellowship  along  with  grants  from  ITVS  and  the  Sundance  Documentary  Fund,  among  others.  Like  her  subjects  in  Where  Soldiers  Come  From,  Courtney  hails  from  the  Upper  Peninsula  of  Michigan  and  is  proud  to  call  herself  a  Yooper.      Credits:  Director/Producer:         Heather  Courtney  Co-­‐producer:           Megan  Gilbride      Cinematographers:         Heather  Courtney,  Justin  Hennard  Editors:             Kyle  Henry,  Heather  Courtney    

Running  Time:           86:46    POV  Series  Credits:  Executive  Producer:               Simon  Kilmurry  Co-­‐Executive  Producer:         Cynthia  López  Vice  President,  Production  &  Programming:     Chris  White  Series  Producer:           Yance  Ford    Awards  and  Festivals:  • Nokia  Truer  Than  Fiction  Award,  Film  Independent  Spirit  Awards,  2012  • Best  Documentary,  Philadelphia  Film  Festival,  2011  • Best  Documentary  Feature  Editing  Award,  South  by  Southwest  (SXSW)  Film  Festival,  2011  • Founders  Prize,  Best  U.S.  Documentary  Film,  Traverse  City  Film  Festival,  2011    • Silverdocs  Documentary  Film  Festival,  2011  • Sarasota  Film  Festival,  2011  • Full  Frame  Documentary  Film  Festival,  2011  • Los  Angeles  Film  Festival,  2011  • BAM  Cinemafest,  2011  • Twin  Cities  Film  Festival,  2011  

 

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filmmakers.  Airing  June  through  October  with  primetime  specials  during  the  year,  POV  has  brought  more  than  325  acclaimed  documentaries  to  millions  nationwide  and  has  a  Webby  Award-­‐winning  online  series,  POV’s  Borders.  Since  1988,  POV  has  pioneered  the  art  of  presentation  and  outreach  using  independent  nonfiction  media  to  build  new  communities  in  conversation  about  today’s  most  pressing  social  issues.  Visit  www.pbs.org/pov.    Major  funding  for  POV  is  provided  by  PBS,  The  John  D.  and  Catherine  T.  MacArthur  Foundation,  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts,  New  York  State  Council  on  the  Arts,  New  York  City  Department  of  Cultural  Affairs,  the  desJardins/Blachman  Fund  and  public  television  viewers.  Funding  for  POV’s  Diverse  Voices  Project  is  provided  by  the  Corporation  for  Public  Broadcasting.  Special  support  provided  by  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences.  POV  is  presented  by  a  consortium  of  public  television  stations,  including  KQED  San  Francisco,  WGBH  Boston  and  THIRTEEN  in  association  with  WNET.ORG.    POV  Digital  (www.pbs.org/pov)  POV’s  award-­‐winning  website  extends  the  life  of  our  films  online  with  interactive  features,  interviews,  updates,  video  and  educational  content,  plus  listings  for  television  broadcasts,  community  screenings  and  films  available  online.  The  POV  Blog  is  a  gathering  place  for  documentary  fans  and  filmmakers  to  discuss  their  favorite  films  and  get  the  latest  news.      POV  Community  Engagement  and  Education  (www.pbs.org/pov/outreach)  POV’s  Community  Engagement  and  Education  team  works  with  educators,  community  organizations  and  PBS  stations  to  present  more  than  600  free  screenings  every  year.  In  addition,  we  distribute  free  discussion  guides  and  standards-­‐aligned  lesson  plans  for  each  of  our  films.  With  our  community  partners,  we  inspire  dialogue  around  the  most  important  social  issues  of  our  time.    American  Documentary,  Inc.  (www.amdoc.org)  American  Documentary,  Inc.  (AmDoc)  is  a  multimedia  company  dedicated  to  creating,  identifying  and  presenting  contemporary  stories  that  express  opinions  and  perspectives  rarely  featured  in  mainstream  media  outlets.  AmDoc  is  a  catalyst  for  public  culture,  developing  collaborative  strategic  engagement  activities  around  socially  relevant  content  on  television,  online  and  in  community  settings.  These  activities  are  designed  to  trigger  action,  from  dialogue  and  feedback  to  educational  opportunities  and  community  participation.      

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