BIFF YEAR ’ROUND 2018-19
Wed April 18, 2016 – 6:30 pm | Hendricks Center for the Arts
Tickets at the Door
Making of a Soldier
Directed by Ralston, Burke, Stange
Documentary Feature
USA | 70 min | 2018
The Vietnam War, like any war, is a collection of many stories that come together to form a single narrative for those who experienced it. These thoughts, emotions, and struggles all come together to create the picture that we have of the war today. “Making of a Soldier” follows Vietnam veterans’ experiences. Each story is unique and is a piece of a bigger picture. Together, it provides us a look at how everyone in the country was affected by the war, how they came home and readjusted to civilian life, and how the war continues to reach them to this day. .
Directors
Madeline Burke:
Madeline Burke is currently a senior at Harlem High School, and is enrolled in the Harlem Veteran Project. During the 2016-17 school year she created a documentary on the experience of John Lombardo during the Vietnam War. She is in the process of creating a documentary on Donald Allen who is also a Vietnam Veteran. Currently, she is directing a promotional documentary for the Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity. After graduating high School she hopes to major in Occupational Therapy.
Chandlor Ralston:
Chandlor is a freshman at the University of Illinois at Chicago studying electrical engineering. He joined the Harlem Veteran Project during the 2015-2016 school year and completed a documentary on Ralph Jury, a Korean War mortar man. This doc highlights the “Forgotten War” and brings life to history that is overshadowed by the events surrounding it.. The 2016-2017 school year he completed a documentary on John Tuttle, a Vietnam War mech infantryman. This brings to light the effects of war and how it never goes away.
In January 2016 he joined the military and went to Fort Jackson before his senior year of high school. Following his graduation he left for Fort Leonard Wood to complete his training. Chandlor has helped put together a few short clips for Veteran’s day or MIA/POW events as well as help organize the 2017 Gala. He plans to continue helping out the project as well as editing side projects.
Nicholas Stange:
Nicholas is currently a teacher at Harlem High School in Machesney Park, IL. He is also one of the main school sponsors of the Harlem Veteran Project. The Harlem Veteran Project is dedicated to recording the oral history of America’s veterans. Over the past 8 years the project has recorded over 200 interviews and created over 150 short feature documentaries. “Making of a Soldier,” is the second feature length documentary produced by Nicholas Stange and the Harlem Veteran Project.
