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More than 50 years after the US dropped billions of tons of explosives on Laos, 1/3 of the surface area is still contaminated by UXO which kills Laotians daily. This is a film about responsibility.
Between 1964 and 1973, in an offshoot of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military dropped 4 billion pounds of explosives on Laos, making it the most heavily bombed country per capita on the planet. Up to 30 percent of those bombs did not detonate, and they remain in the Laotian soil today as unexploded ordnance (UXO) contaminating more than one-third of the country's surface area. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and injured in UXO accidents since the war officially ended. The first bombs fell more than 50 years ago, and still today, more Laotians are hurt and killed.
ETERNAL HARVEST introduces Laotians who lived through the bombing campaign and those who live with bombs in their fields today. The film features local and foreign experts who explain the scope and hazards of the problem as well as how UXO is removed safely.
Hundreds of Laotians work daily to clear bombs from their country. Only a handful of Americans have ever joined them. One, Jim Harris, is a retired school principal from Wisconsin. He has returned year after year for more than 20 years to atone for the incredible devastation committed by his government.
This film is based on the book "Eternal Harvest: The Legacy of American Bombing in Laos" by Karen Coates.
International Day for Landmine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is annually observed on April 4.
Cosponsored by : Greater New Haven Peace Council and The City of New Haven Peace Commission
Special thanks to: Bullfrog Films
For more info contact Seth Godfrey at 203-946-7450 or email sgodfrey@nhfpl.org
AGE GROUP: | Teens (13-17) | Adults (18+) |
EVENT TYPE: | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Education and Lifelong Learning | Economic Development and Nonprofits | Careers and Job Skills |
TAGS: | Film Discussion | Documentary | Community | Civil Rights Movement | Adult Learning | activism |
The Ives Main Library, designed by renowned architect, Cass Gilbert in 1911, is a cornerstone of the historic New Haven Green. The facility is a community treasure and features unique design details, including several WPA-era murals. Ives is open 54 hours a week, Monday-Saturday, and houses major public service departments for children and teens as well as adult reference, a computer tech center and Ives Squared, a newly renovated space for innovation and entrepreneurship.
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