Samantha Farinella prepares to address the first Juneau audience to her documentary at the Old Town Nicolodean Theatre
“Hunting in Wartime” was shown at the Gold Town Nickelodean Theatre in Juneau last weekend. The documentary profiles the extraordinary stories of Tlingit Vietnam War veterans from Hoonah, Alaska. The film traces the tension of the soldiers’ tremendous pride in service, the racism that affects their livelihoods, and the challenges they faced (and continue to face) in the military and back at home.
Hoonah, Alaska is where my mother grew up; it is the home of our clan the Black-legged Kittywake “T’akDeinTaan Clan.
My brother, the late Robert “Bunny” Lampe served during the Vietnam era though he was stationed in Germany and did not go to the front lines as our cousins in this film. The men in this film are all guys Bunny grew up with since his teenage years. I remember Bunny saying that when these men returned from Vietnam they were not the same; in fact they seemed “scary.” Though I did not know this men, I recognize every one of them by either their names or their faces.
The film was very moving from start to finish.
Movie Trailer: http://hoonahsheroes.com
When we came out of the theatre, the second showing was already sold out