Where Soldiers Come From

Keweenaw native Heather Courtney has been hard at work. Her latest work, “Where Soldiers Come From”, documents a group of friends form the Upper Peninsula and throughout their service in the National Guard and serving in Afghanistan.  For four consecutive years she filmed, both in the Keweenaw and in Afghanistan.  The film looks at just how much change a young soldier goes through and how it affects such a small community, friends, and family.

Where Soldiers Come From trailer

The film has been featured close to home at the Traverse City Film Festival, was an official selection for the Los Angeles Film Festival and won Best Editing for Documentary Feature at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival.

Here’s a great great interview with Heather Courtney from the Traverse City Film Festival and you can read more about on the official website.  Stay tuned for upcoming screenings, one is scheduled in Calumet and another in Detroit.

Upcoming Screenings

Village East Cinemas
New York, NY
Opens Sept. 9, 2011

Gene Siskel Theater
Chicago, IL
Opens Sept. 16, 2011

Calumet Theater
Calumet, MI
Sept. 25 – Sept. 30, 2011

Detroit Institute of Art
Detroit, MI
Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2011

Alamo Drafthouse
Austin, TX
Oct. 12, 13 and 15, 2011

Heather’s work also includes “Los Trabajadores/The Workers”, a 2001 documentary about immigrant day laborers and “Letters from the Other Side”, a 2006 document about women and children left behind in Mexico.