A veterans documentary created by filmmaker Luke Hanson will be screened at a fundraiser for the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Clyde Theater in Langley.
The award-winning film “Soldiers’ Sanctuary” tells a story of combat veterans healing from the scars of war.
The Whidbey Veterans Resource Center, operating out of the American Legion Post 141, will be hosting a fundraiser and screening of the film at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Clyde Theater in Langley.
“It’s really an extraordinary overview of the healing that can go on,” said Greg Stone, president of the WVRC board. “The film describes the wonderful healing power of bringing people from the battle together.”
The film follows a group of American veterans of the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars who return to the battlefield of Khe Sanh, Vietnam, where they meet with veterans of the People’s Army of Vietnam to plant trees on the site of the wartime combat base.
The donation-only event the is be one of the critical events in the WVRC’s fundraising campaign, Stone said. Lucas Jushinski, a veteran himself and owner of Island Alternative Medicine in Freeland, has offered to match up to $10,000 in donations.
“We’re trying to encourage people (to donate) but the main thing is to see this wonderful film,” Stone said.
The Khe Sanh Garden that was created in the course of this film is a world sanctuary dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen soldiers from all sides of armed combat and reconciling in peace with former enemies.
“My hope is that this film will help many who are interested in moving through personal struggle by way of reconciliation within themselves and forgiveness towardsa their enemies,” said filmmaker Luke Hansen in a news release. “While the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project is helping veterans of war in a very moving way, this film really applies to all who are looking to find personal peace and reconciliation.”
The film was awarded earlier this year Best Documentary Feature by the 2014 American Movie Awards. The news came just weeks after the film celebrated its World Premiere in Khe Sanh, Vietnam and its U.S. Premiere in Seattle in April.
Hansen said Seattle was selected for the film’s U.S. premiere because it is the hometown of many participants of the 2012 Vietnam trip that serves as the film’s subject. Additionally, PeaceTrees VietNam is headquartered in Seattle, an organization providing support to the film and the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project.
More information about the file and the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project can be found at www.soldierssanctuary.com and www.khesanhgarden.org
