Open CallOpen Call: Pitch Reels
Friday's Farm (Sample Reel) (3:18)
Ryan Garrett | Brooklyn, NY
On June 7th, 2007 I made the twenty hour trip from New York City to Friday's Farm in Jackson, MS. As I entered the gates to the farm the calendar flipped back to June 1970. Men in Soldier's Uniforms guided me into a Firebase and informed me that I was in Cu CHi, Vietnam and that VC forces were mounting attacks on the perimeter. I grabbed my 16mm camera, outfitted for battle, and began to cover their story. I had instantly become a war correspondent of a war which had ended more that 30 years prior.
Over the course of four days I accumulated a wealth of footage and audio cassette interviews of the 25th Infantry Division as they reenacted the Vietnam War. I slept in their tents, ate the same meals, and went out into battle with them. Now as I pour through this footage and listen to their voices and the sounds of a reenacted war I see the enormous potential for a poetic essay on war reenactment. It seems gravely important to continue this research into the nature of War reenactment. What does it mean to reenact a war with as unstable and as unpopular a history as Vietnam as simultaneously a war rages in Iraq? The conflict between the reality of war and the material of reenactment comes through in this footage without the need for voice-over or commentary. Drawing on influences such as actual newsreel footage and Hollywood War Films, the aim of "Friday's Farm" is to create a picture of war as seen by a reenactor, and to reveal the various screens through which we witness our history.
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Immortality
Brought to the surface, moments in time and place that changed the youthful exuberance of America in the 60's.
great work
Ryan, you did a wonderful job and I am very proud of you.
Love,
Terry
Universal message
Mr. Garrett's film is artfully crafted, and it raises questions in the viewer's mind about the "normality" and atrocity of nuclear weapons. I was impressed with the variety of images--photos, landscapes, space scenes blending into interior scenes--mixed with actual voices from the past. I hope he has the opportunity to make the film about Vietnam reenactments. How can this be going on when another criminal war is taking place! The universality of war and, horribly, its acceptance in society, should be recorded. Mr. Garrett seems to have the artistic skill, social conscience, and historical perspective to create this.
evolutionary investigation
Mr Garret's study of the niche cluture of war reenactment shows us all you never know what humanity is capable of.
Americana
The film weaves together separate threads of American life, both audio and visual. The various narrators' voices, the ambient shots of Appalachia, scenes from inside museums and towns, and the vintage footage give a clear and rich sense of Americana, within a wider universal framework.
haunting time capsule
the voices in the film sound as though they were trapped in a time capsule, buried for the last 40 years. upon opening the time capsule, they are released, scratchy and searching for listeners.
the collage style of the visual presentation and the artful use of time-lapsing effects creates a truly haunting visual manifestation of these voices.
these distant voices are released at a time when they have even deeper impact; a chance to heal as well as teach.
very interesting
very interesting that this type of reenactment is going on- would love to know more about it- are the participants vietnam veterans? gulf war veterans? historians? is it therapeutic? cathartic? interesting thinking about how much "acting" went into the recent coverage of embedded journalists in the beginning of the Iraq war- by the journalists and the soldiers they lived with, and how much acting and storytelling have to do with the creation of history. plus, unfortunately, it seems like everything about Vietnam is becoming relevant to today's war.
Unique, timely project!
very interesting
very interesting that this type of reenactment is going on- would love to know more about it- are the participants vietnam veterans? gulf war veterans? historians? is it therapeutic? cathartic? interesting thinking about how much "acting" went into the recent coverage of embedded journalists in the beginning of the Iraq war- by the journalists and the soldiers they lived with, and how much acting and storytelling have to do with the creation of history. plus, unfortunately, it seems like everything about Vietnam is becoming relevant to today's war.
Unique, timely project!
WGBH Open Call Grant
I too had not heard of Vietnam War enactments. In addition to the historic aspects, I feel Ryan Garrett's short film would also help to let Vietnam veterans and family members know that even though 30 some years have passed there are still people who remember and care about what happened to our soldiers during and after the Vietnam war.
To view this is my lifetime
To view this is my lifetime after realizing the impact on people around me would be incredible. I remember the fear of those in high school - if you couldn't afford college you could die in Viet Nam. I even remember some marrying and having a child to avoid this war; I even knew one person who fled to Canada. The world needs to see this.
Never Knew
I have heard of reenactments of Shiloh,etc. but never Viet Nam. It is so heart felt for me - being young and seeing first hand how war was effecting people all around me - if you couldn't afford college, you may be drafted and die in Viet Nam. I believe the world is ready for this.
Note from the Filmmaker
Ryan Garrett
Hi,
Thanks so far for the support. The 16mm film that I got back looks incredible and I can't wait to start assembling it. The range of impressions and motives at these events is startling and revealing.
This film is intended as one piece in a larger series of work which addresses the varying perspectives and methods for narrating history. Please give me your support so I can keep this project going. Vote for Friday's Farm!
Check back soon for links to samples of the footage.
Vietnam
So many families in the South lost young guys to this bloody brutal unwanted war. The thoughts and memories oif those who returned are of deep interest to those of us who lived through that time. I do remember as a school child attending the funeral of the big brother (18 years old) of a school pal who died in Vietnam.
I have heard of many reenactments (Civil War, etc.) but none of this exact type - taking place during the lifetime of the people who fought the war.
This film is one I would really like to see completed.
Filmed on film.
An interesting factor to this proposal is the use of 16mm film and audio cassette--vintage mediums in their own right, and evidence of dedication.
As a correspondent, the filmmaker shares the struggle to participate as much as the subjects of movie.
But there will inevitably be anachronistic rifts in the re-enacting on all levels. I suspect this is where the drama lies.