The Inheritance of War
LDS Film Festival documentary matches Sundance quality
Each year, running concurrently in Utah with the Sundance Film Festival is the smaller LDS Film Festival. Amidst the fame and celebrity buzz that comes with Sundance, the LDS Film Festival is usually a low-key event that is left behind.
Because of the title of the festival, many confuse the festival with featuring films about LDS characters and church lifestyles. In reality, the festival features films created by LDS artists. Those who presume that the festival’s purpose it to teach LDS principles are sorely mistaken.
This year, I ditched Sundance for a day to catch a movie at the LDS Film Festival. Not only was I surprised at the fantastic quality of the film I saw, but I was also glad that I had chosen to do so. The documentary I saw, The Inheritance of War, was up to par with most of the documentaries I’ve seen at Sundance – and far better than most.
In The Inheritance of War, freshman filmmaker Ashley Karras and producer James Parkinson tell the stories of American soldiers that survived the little-known Bataan Death March in the Philippines during World War II.
The Inheritance of War is based on Parkinson’s co-authored book Soldier Slaves, telling not only the story of what the prisoners of war went through – being forced to march across the country under the worst circumstances, locked up in ships sailing to Japan and forced to work as slaves in major factories – but it also tells the story of the 1999 case that went before the supreme court that would allow these men to receive recognition for the service they gave to their country and compensation from the Japanese corporations that enslaved them.
It’s hard for a documentary to reach the emotional height that The Inheritance of War accomplishes. Featuring interviews and powerful testimonials with several of the survivors, the film conveys an intimate and personal message.
Though my ticket into the film was paid for by someone else, The Inheritance of War is the caliper of film that I would pay to see. There’s no reason why this film wouldn’t fit in perfectly with the documentaries I usually see at Sundance.
The Inheritance of War is screening at the Foursite Film Festival in Ogden, Utah in March and at the Las Vegas International Film Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada in April. If you get a chance to see this film on the big screen, see it. If not, I guarantee you The Inheritance of War is one you’ll see on the History Channel before long.
Photo credit: The Inheritance of War.com
