Nick Talan

Take Your Own Notes features the stories of five women veterans who live in the greater Rockford, IL area. The documentary demonstrates how the five women make an impact in their families and local communities and connect with each other through their shared experiences in the United States military. Take Your Own Notes provides an outlet for women who experience challenges featured in the documentary, cultivating an open dialogue for those who wish to tell their stories.

Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Journey features the story of Kim Hurd, a woman in 11 years of long term recovery for drug alcohol addiction. The documentary strives to demonstrate the impact addiction can have on an individual while also helping to reduce the stigma and shame that prevents individuals from seeking recovery.

Mr. Clarence focuses on a hospice veteran pinning ceremony for WWII Veteran William Clarence. The documentary highlights the importance of closure for a veteran and their family members.

The Faces that Never Fade shows how war lives on in every veteran that comes home. The Faces that Never Fade focuses on showing the humanity of the Vietnam War through the experiences of John Tutle by diving into the erosion of hope from the constant repetition of day to day tasks mixed with the insanity of war along with the enduring memories of the sights and sounds of losing friends. John’s journey will show how war lives on in every veteran that comes home and the ones who didn’t come back are always carried with them. From learning to live with PTSD to moving on and helping other veterans John’s story is just one experience of millions that have served in a combat zone for this country.

Running to Remember is a documentary about Cathy Powers, a gold star mother who started running to remember the veterans who served our country. She runs to honor her son, Senior Airman (SrA) Bryce Powers. Along her running journey, Cathy meets veterans from around the country, letting them know they are loved and remembered for their service. With the help of Wreaths Across America, Cathy has run over a thousand miles within all 50 states, as well as raising 11,215 wreath sponsorships for Arlington National Cemetery.

In 2018, Carole left a voicemail to the Harlem Veteran Project. In the voicemail, Carole stated that she wanted to document the remarkable life story of a senior citizen named Ingrid. Ingrid was born in Schnaittach, Germany, and she grew up during WWII. Ingrid’s story reveals the hardships she endured in WWII Germany and the challenges she faced while pursuing peace for herself and her children. Through Carole’s passion to document Ingrid’s story, Carole’s own struggles are revealed and a unique friendship unfolds between the two women.

Since 2012, The Harlem Veteran Project has dedicated their time to recording and preserving the stories of American Veterans. Through this process the students have learned the long term impact of war on individuals and the community. In 2016, the Harlem Veteran Project students took an extended look into the impact war had on veterans, Jim Thew and Alex Feggestad. During this journey the students learned the reality of war and Jim and Alex experienced the power of healing through oral history.

A girl on the phone with her best friend watches a movie when something unexpected happens.

The Melodi of Memories is a story about a Native American Veteran. Melodi Serna talks about the culture shock she experienced growing up as a Native American living with her grandparents. She was bullied throughout her life, which caused her to start misbehaving. Due to this, she constantly moved schools. She finished high school early and joined the military. It helped her overcome bullying and turned her life around. She eventually became an Executive Director at the American Indian Center of Chicago. She fought for more Native representation at schools, and expressed her strong opinions about Native American mascots.