A documentary by Mara Pelcis
On Veterans Day 2011, we invited people from across the US, and as far as Europe, Australia, and Africa, to grassroots screenings of Souvenirs. Together we witnessed stories on the homecoming from war, as told by several generations of Veterans. With this we kicked off a grassroots effort to broaden the conversation on surviving the peace.
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In 2002, Vietnam Veteran Andy Pelecis took his own life.
Andy's death drove his daughter, Mara, to ask: "How could my father survive the war, but not the peace?" Souvenirs is a documentary film journey into surviving the peace. Seeking to understand her father, Mara meets with Veterans from all walks of life: Rolling Thunder bikers, Vets for Peace, National Guard members and Native Americans. On this journey, she unearths the elusive layers of her father's post-war inner world and discovers a kaleidoscope of paths to healing after war.
Souvenirs strives to spur a conversation about coming home from war over time, through the witnessing of Veteran's stories. In a time when Veterans Affairs estimates that 18 Veterans take their lives every day, this conversation seems more vital than ever.