The Volunteer, a short documentary on Vietnam veteran Bruce Nakashima
Saturday, Jun 8, 2024, 2 pm
“The Volunteer”, directed by David Brodie, is a short documentary that follows Bruce Nakashima, a Vietnam War veteran, as he reflects on his intense combat experience, rescue and abrupt separation from L.V., the friend who saved his life. Through the filming process, Bruce struggles to express the guilt, shame and anger he carries and slowly begins to reconcile the memories that haunt him.
“…a moving and deeply resonant exploration into the enduring impact of racial trauma, the profound power and bonds of friendship, and the universal quest for identity and a sense of belonging.” BEND Film Festival
Join us for the screening, reflections from filmmaker David Brodie, and a community conversation as we remember Bruce Nakashima and those who served during the Vietnam War, a heightened time of tension and protests, and the scars that remain hidden over 50 years later.
RSVP for your free ticket.
View the trailer.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Bruce Nakashima was a United States Army Ranger, farmer, truck driver, craps dealer, model car wholesaler, and an investor in both racehorses and race cars. He was born in Rohwer, Arkansas during World War II and served in The Vietnam War from 1964 to 1967. In 2018, he decided it was time to tell his story.
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In 2017 David Brodie directed an ad campaign for Subaru, promoting the company’s charitable efforts. For one of these commercials he interviewed Bruce, along with Chris Gordon-Clarke, a fellow veteran who delivered food to Bruce through Meals on Wheels.
David became friends with both men, joining Meals on Wheels and regularly meeting with Bruce, who often told stories about his past, including his birth in an internment camp for Japanese Americans, his harrowing service in Vietnam, and his decades-long search for LV Hendking, his best friend from the Army.
These conversations eventually developed into production on an ever-evolving documentary about Bruce’s life. Over three years, Bruce gave countless interviews, reconnected with friends and family, and finally reunited with LV.
Brynn Saito will close the event with a reading from Under a Future Sky, her latest book of poems inspired by a pilgrimage she took with her father to Gila River in 2019. RSVP for in-person or online.
