Next Screening: This Weekend



Mike Benge in Vietnam during the war.



This weekend I'll show Abandoned Allies to two more cast members: Mike Benge and Greg Stock. We'll meet early Saturday morning to watch the film and discuss ways to improve it. I can't wait to share the film with them--finally.

All week long I've been getting ready for this weekend. On Tuesday, fellow filmmaker Todd Tinkham helped me with video editing. He's been such a good friend, and I am incredibly grateful for his help.

There are a few areas in the film giving me problems. Expressing these problems in writing is tough, except to say that they just don't work well. I've been over-analyzing the film for three years, so I know that there are parts that aren't working--but I don't quite know how to fix them. Todd helped me find some clarity, and pieced together the story much better this week. His talent as a filmmaker and a "fresh set of eyes" were incredibly helpful. (More on what Todd's doing later.)

It is such a thrill to start sharing the film with people. Not only is it giving me greater clarity, but it's also giving me closure on the project so that we can move on: wrap up post-production, share the film, start discussions, and hopefully lead to social change. It's an exciting time, indeed.