Host a screening of an independent Vietnam-era documentary and help preserve the stories of a generation before they are lost.
From Iowa and Back: The Vietnam Era is an independently produced feature-length documentary preserving the first-hand experiences of Iowa men and women whose lives were shaped by military service during the Vietnam era.
While these stories begin in Iowa, the experiences of service, sacrifice, separation, coming home, family, and memory reach far beyond state lines.
Community screenings are now available throughout Illinois.
More Than Just Showing a Film
From Iowa and Back was not created as a generic military documentary or a packaged presentation. It was built through personal interviews, photographs, memories, and first-hand accounts from veterans and their families. The people on screen tell their own stories in their own words.
Community screenings can also become something unique to the town or organization hosting the film.
- A feature-length screening of From Iowa and Back
- A personal introduction from filmmaker Jeremy Glazier
- A post-film discussion and Q&A
- Recognition of veterans in attendance
- Potential interviews with Vietnam-era veterans for the continuing project
Why These Stories Matter in Illinois
Illinois is home to more than 480,000 veterans, giving communities across the state a deep connection to military service and veterans’ history.
The Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Springfield honors 2,970 Illinoisans who died or remain missing from the Vietnam War.
More than five decades have passed since the war ended, and the generation that lived through it is disappearing rapidly. Nationally, the U.S. Army’s Vietnam War Commemoration estimates that more than 500 Vietnam veterans are lost each day.
There is still time to hear these stories directly. There will not always be.
Who Can Host a Screening?
Community screenings can work in many different settings. You don’t need a traditional movie theater to bring From Iowa and Back to your community.
- American Legion, VFW posts, and Veterans organizations
- Movie theaters
- Public libraries
- Historical societies and museums
- Colleges and schools
- Senior living communities
- Civic and community organizations
- Unions and employee organizations
- Other organizations interested in veterans and history
If your organization has an appropriate gathering space and the ability to present a film to an audience, we can discuss what is possible.
A Screening Can Also Be a Fundraiser
Community screenings can be structured as free events, ticketed programs, donation-based events, sponsor-supported programs, or fundraisers.
Host organizations may use a screening to raise funds for their organization, a veterans program, or another community cause. Ticketing, sponsorships, donations, and any screening or travel arrangements can be discussed in advance so the event is built around the needs of the host organization and community.
Watch the Trailer
A Growing Community Screening Project
From Iowa and Back has grown from an independent Iowa documentary into an ongoing community screening project presented through theaters, libraries, museums, veterans organizations, and community-sponsored events.
20+ Public Screenings • 13 Iowa Counties • Now Expanding Beyond Iowa