AS LONG AS I REMEMBER: AMERICAN VETERANOS examines the steep personal toll and enduring legacy of the Vietnam War on three artists from south Texas: visual artist Juan Farias, author Michael Rodriguez and actor/poet Eduardo Garza. Through the personal histories and experiences of these Chicano veterans, the film examines the role art plays in the sorting of memories, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), activism and the current conflict in Iraq. AS LONG AS I REMEMBER chronicles their upbringing in the Mexican-American community, their military service in Vietnam, and their lives after the war. Farias, Rodriguez and Garza’s poignant and powerful recollections illuminate the minority experience in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps at a time when Mexican Americans accounted for approximately 20 percent of U.S. casualties in Vietnam, despite comprising only 10 percent of the country’s population. Copyright 2010 Produced and Directed by Laura Varela Producer Fernando S. Cano II Edited by Anne Lewis Original Soundtrack by Federico Chavez Blanco.
This film was funded in part by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Humanities Texas, and Latino Public Broadcasting. Additional support given by NALIP. This clip is paired with curriculum for free on PBS Learning Media:
As Long as I Remember FB Page.
Broadcast on PBS stations throughout the United States and Canada via an American Public Television offering from 2010 to 2016.
For the more information on purchasing the feature documentary for personal or educational use please contact us at varelafilm@gmail.com
