A screening of the documentary about Post 9/11 veterans experiences,
“What I Want You To Know” is an intimate journey alongside Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as they share deeply personal stories from their deployments, exploring truth and justice in the context of their wars.
The screening will start at 6 p.m., followed by a discussion and Q&A with Afghanistan War Veteran Tommy Furlong and Filmmaker and Director Catie Foertsch.
Sponsors are Indivisible Northampton-Swing Left Western Massachusetts and the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence.
Tickets are $10 or pay what you can; a suggested additional donation of $5 will benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to support our neighbors, many of whom are veterans.
Find more information on the film’s website: https://www.whatiwantyoutoknow-film.com/
This documentary is an excellent way for the community to support veterans by being willing to listen to what they want us to know, say organizers.
“What I Want You To Know” lays bare the extent of what war does to those who do the actual fighting, particularly about moral injury, the profound psychological and emotional wound that many veterans carry from their wartime experiences, said Catie Foertsch, the award-winning producer and director of the film.
The film’s depictions of moral injury provide a unique and critical perspective on the cost and consequences of the US/NATO wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and of war itself, said Foertsch.
Comments from veterans about the film: “this is very similar to my experiences” “This was exactly what I experienced in Vietnam and on my return home” “very powerful… aligns with all my feelings about my time in Afghanistan” “This film speaks to what many of us have thought but maybe not yet verbalized”
“This film is essential viewing for everyone, but it is particularly important for anyone who has little memory of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and in finding empathy, compassion and understanding for what our service members endured on our behalf,” said John Paradis, one of the organizers and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force from Northampton. Paradis served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To submit an event to the calendar, email calendar@swingbluealliance.org