Join us for a FREE screening of this documentary film in Berkeley on April 11 and in San Francisco on April 17. This Academy-nominated documentary exemplifies veterans’ issues and provides context and opportunities to learn for our general audience. It serves as a launching point for discussing the issues and the resources available for veterans and their families.

About the screenings:

• Rialto Cinemas Elmwood (2966 College Avenue at Ashby) at 7:00 p.m. in Berkeley
• San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium (100 Larkin St. at Grove) at 5:45 p.m.

The screening in San Francisco will be followed with panel discussion. Alameda County Bluestar Moms is accepting donations for care packages for soldiers at the Berkeley screening. Requested care package items can be found here.

About the documentary:
The story follows the U.S. Marines Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, as they launch a major assault on a Taliban stronghold in Southern Afghanistan. Within hours of being dropped deep behind enemy lines, Sergeant Nathan Harris’s unit is attacked from all sides. Cut off and surrounded, the Marines fight a ghostlike enemy and experience immense hostility from displaced villagers. Frustration grows on both sides, as any common ground, or success, seems elusive.

The parallel story begins with Sergeant Harris’s return home to his wife in the U.S., after he is severely injured. He’s in terrible physical pain, and becomes addicted to his pain medication. But his psychological pain may be worse, as he attempts to reconcile the immense gulf between his experiences at war, and the terrifying normalcy of life at home. These two stories intertwine to communicate both the extraordinary drama of war and the no less shocking experience of returning home, as a whole generation of Marines struggles to find an identity in a country that prefers to be indifferent.

Danfung Dennis’ Hell and Back Again combines harrowing “you are there” Afghanistan war footage with a tough and unflinching look at one soldier’s struggle through post-combat physical rehabilitation. Some audience members may feel the need to take a break either during or immediately following the screening. Recommended for mature audiences only.

Visit the official website for the film at http://itvs.org/films/hell-and-back-again
.