The Los Angeles Public Library presented a Public Conversation event, Celluloid Soldiers: Veterans Through Hollywood’s Lens.
Since their invention, films have shaped public perceptions about veterans and the impacts of war. Films such as Born on the Fourth of July about paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic or the 1946 film, The Best Years of Our Lives, about veterans returning from WWII, have made an indelible mark on American’s attitude toward veterans. This forum delved into how the medium of film has shaped the narrative about veterans’ experiences and how that is changing with recent documentaries about current veterans issues. The forum included a discussion and audience participation. Free and open to the public.
Panelists include
- Kirby Dick, Academy/Emmy Award nominated director/writer, The Invisible War (2012 documentary about Military Sexual Assault)
- Jean Oppenheimer, former Pres., LA Film Critics’ Association, writer for American Cinematographer
- Brayden Yoder, writer, director, screenwriter, US Army Iraq war veteran
The forum was moderated by David Theo Goldberg, Ph.D, Director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute, and Executive Director of the Digital Media & Learning Research Hub.
This program was one of a series of five Public Conversations organized by California Humanities, in partnership with the California State Library, the University of California Humanities Research Institute, hosted by partner public libraries.
