Thursday, March 12, 2009

When I Came Home

When I Came Home
Directed by Dan Lohaus
Winner 2006 Tribeca Film Festival

When I came Home is such a painful film I simply could not finish watching it. Yeah, I know. I'm always watching painful films I can't finish.

Here's the trailer:

I swear! It's not as if I'm a revolutionary or something but it does annoy the heck outta me to see Christians getting all worked up over certain issues yet totally ignoring others. Where, oh where, is the Christian extreme Biblical left?

This film is about homeless veterans...and the horror they return to when they get home. No medical care, intense bills on medical care, disabled, homelessness, losing their kids, their homes, etc. And honestly, when I think of all the Christian friends I knew who were all for the war, I am tempted to ask, "Okay, now that these destroyed soldiers are coming home, why don't you care about them?"

Here's the blurb:

Director’s note: When I Came Home is a documentary which follows the lives and struggles of several homeless veterans, including those who have recently returned home from the war in Iraq. The film examines the factors which led over 150,000 Vietnam veterans from the battlefield to the street and asks the question: Will what happened to Vietnam veterans happen to a new generation of soldiers? The film also focuses on the veteran-led movement which is fighting to end this national disgrace.


When I Came Home is a work-in-progress. Follow the making of the film on director Dan Lohaus’ GNN blog

Links you might be interested in:

Black Veterans for social justice

Iraq Veterans Against the War

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

Operation Dignity

I swear I just want to cry. I just keep getting myself upset with this stuff.

5 comments:

Lisa said...

It is really frustrating how we treat our vets both now and in the past.

Carole McDonnell said...

Ah, Lisa!

If you saw this film!!!! It was just heart-breaking! I had to turn it off. I got so weepy.

I keep thinking I'm strong and I like sad edgy real documentaries. I might have to reconsider all that.

Hope you, hubby, and kitties are all well.
-C

Lisa said...

I didn't watch it. I've read some stories like it and it is heart breaking and I get so bent out of shape reading it.

I need to complain to my senator!

Anonymous said...

I have to say I am a bit confused, I am a persian gulf vet and I found myself homeless on 2 occasions and I sought and was given the best possible service ever from the va, including housing ,drug and alcohol treatment, and even vocational rehabilitation, once in ogden utah and once in white city oregon both va facilities, unless a person is seeking 100% va disability they will find and get what they seek, honestly I have been treated very well from the va , I believe personality and genuiness has much to do with some feeling they have been neglected

Carole McDonnell said...

Hi Anon:

Maybe one's luck with the VA depends on where one lives. Or maybe you were more accepting of being made to be homeless twice. Also, being homeless with kids is different than being homeless without kids. Check out the movie, though.
Thanks for your input.
-C

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