On Monday, April 3rd, at 6:30pm (Camelot Theatres) the American Documentary Film Festival will present a very special film, American Veteran. This film, a California premiere by filmmaker Julie Cohen, documents the generation of American veterans so severely disabled in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that they would have probably have died in previous wars. Now they are survivors, who are kept alive by improved medical tactics.
American Veteran follows one such veteran, Sgt. Nick Mendes, who, at 21, was paralyzed from the neck down by an IED. At the start of the story, he’s in a V.A. hospital unable to speak, eat or even breathe on his own. Five years later, he is studying for a real estate license and using mouth operated technology to play video games and even go fishing.
American Veteran follows Nick as he reunites with the soldier who saved his life in Afghanistan and most amazing of all, as he falls in love with and marries his medical caregiver. An unflinching, romantic and often funny story of one man’s triumph against tremendous odds.
Palm Springs Choppers, along with a number of veterans, Wounded Warriors, Purple Heart recipients and others will gather at the theatre in advance of the screening between 5:30pm and 6pm.
After the screening, Festival Programmer Ted Grouya will conduct a Q&A with Julie Cohen, Nick Mendes, and his wife.
There are a limited number of tickets available for veterans who would like to attend the screening at no charge. They are available on a first come, first served basis. Anyone wanting to take advantage of this offer should RSVP to michaelcgreen@earthlink.net so that their names can be added to the comp. list.
Tickets and Passes for the 2017 edition of The American Documentary Film Festival are available now at americandocumentaryfilmfestival.org, or in person at the Camelot Theatres Box Office.