Veterans Day 2020, an adaptation of War Words (2020)

VETERANS DAY 2020, a short film adapted from the stage play War Words, is a cinematic celebration of military service which tells the funny, strange, heroic, and heartbreaking stories of men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, based on interviews with veterans of those wars and their families. It is a richly entertaining work that serves the civic purpose of drawing the audience into a closer relationship with the men and women who serve in the military. Working in collaboration with playwright Michelle Brooks, who wrote the adaptation, Seema Sueko's film achieves a succinct rendering of the play's essence and in a form that itself is a heartening testament to the resilience of creative minds. In addition to reflecting Sueko's vision to use Zoom as her soundstage, the film's unique form shows off the virtual multimedia designs of Jared Mezzocchi of the Virtual Design Collective and enjoys a sound design with original music by Andre Pluess. Casting director Teresa Sapien's perfect ensemble-Shaun Baker, Jacqueline Correa, Angel Desai, Justin Emeka, Brian Lee Huynh, Alyssa Keegan, Thomas Keegan, Brian Letscher, and Ramón De Ocampo-brings to full life the hard and heartfelt war words of the film's compelling characters.