APACHE BLUES: Welcome Home

Homeland Magazine had the chance to speak with the filmmakers of Apache Blues: Welcome Home, a new documentary that follows up with veterans of the Vietnam War. The film premieres at the Dances with Films Festival on July 2nd in Los Angeles and tickets are available on the festival’s website.

danceswithfilms.com/apache-blues-welcome-home

Dave Merlino and Dustin Sweet, the indie filmmakers behind the project, did not know what their 33,000 mile journey around the U.S. would become. What they found through their interviews was just how powerful and healing a conversation could be.

Homeland: APACHE BLUES: Welcome Home is described as a “poignant and soulful story about the healing power of conversation.” Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the film and why you chose to focus on the Vietnam War veterans’ experiences?

Dave and Dustin: This started with Dave’s longtime friendship with Kregg Jorgenson, one of the veterans in our film. At one point, Dave offered to film an oral history of Kregg’s stories from the Vietnam War in order to preserve them for his family. It was just two friends sitting down at Dave’s kitchen table but when it was done, Kregg mentioned how good it felt to tell the stories, and maybe other guys from his unit would like to do it as well. We felt that these were stories that we had never really been allowed to hear in school or pop culture without a political lens being forced over them, so the idea for this documentary was born. Let’s get the story straight from the soldiers who were there. But as we were conducting the interviews, once the cameras were turned off you could just see these men visually relax. Like a weight had been lifted. That’s when we knew what our real story was, the healing power these conversations were having. We focused on this unit, because we feel that telling such a tight and personal story, it conveys an experience that all veterans will be able to connect with. No matter what conflict they served in.

Homeland: The journey for APACHE BLUES: Welcome Home spanned over 30,000 miles across the continental US. Can you share some of the most memorable moments or encounters you had during your travels?

Dave: I really loved stopping for gas or lunch in all of the small towns. We met some of the friendliest people and had the greatest conversations. News and social media loves to hammer the talking point that we are a divided nation. Having talked with people from all walks of life, of all political persuasions, from all around the country, that is not nearly as true as we are led to believe. Maybe we should talk and listen more rather than just trying to win arguments and “own” each other.

Dustin: There really is nothing like locking yourself in a car for a trip around the earth to test the boundaries of your friendship. I cannot believe Dave still talks to me, or that I continue to get into the car with him.

Dave: Also, Passing Lane etiquette is definitely something that needs to be refreshed across the country.

Homeland: The film explores the healing power of conversation. What challenges did you face in capturing and conveying these intimate and transformative conversations on screen?

Dave and Dustin: With the exception of Kregg Jorgenson, who is Dave’s former co-worker, we had never met any of these men before asking them to share their darkest memories. So we made sure to spend a lot of time just sitting, talking and getting comfortable before setting up the cameras. We had to be careful though because there were definitely some good stories that came out before the cameras were on.

Homeland: In addition to your film, you also host the Know Their Story podcast. How has this platform influenced your understanding of veterans’ stories and the impact of sharing those stories with a broader audience?

Dave: Even though Dustin and I are not veterans, we have never failed to connect with a guest. Even though we may not have done the exact same things in life, there are always shared experiences. Maybe that’s working for a micromanaging boss, nonsensical workplace rules, losing someone in your life unexpectedly... you’d be surprised what you may have in common with someone if you take the time to talk with them.

Dustin: The podcast has really brought something one of our guests, Father Mike Olsen, said into focus. As communities across the planet we would be well advised to find a way to better welcome veterans back into our communities. Every veteran we have talked to is a team player who mindfully thinks of others and is genuinely interested in the betterment of their community. Well trained at being self-sufficient, trained to solve problems themselves. They may want to reach out, but their training acts as a block to that. It is incumbent on us to reach out to them.

Homeland: Are there any specific messages or themes in APACHE BLUES: Welcome Home that you hope will resonate with audiences?

Dave: That you don’t have to do something grand to make the world a better place. Something as simple as, “Hey, when you’re ready to talk, I would love to hear your story” can have a big impact on a person’s life.

Dustin: Speaking about your experiences, harrowing or not, will help you to process the emotions surrounding your experience. A lot of people will say “I didn’t have it that bad” or “I don’t want my loved ones to hear about the horrors I witnessed” which are two sides of the same coin, and neither are wrong ways of thinking. We process our internal conflict much easier by retelling the story of what happened to us. Especially to someone who can just listen to it without judging us or trying to solve our problems.

Homeland: What were some of the most significant lessons you learned throughout the process of making APACHE BLUES: Welcome Home, both as filmmakers and as individuals?

Dave: While conducting the interviews, it was important to leave a few seconds of silence after they were done answering a question before I moved on to the next question in order to make life easier on the editor.

Oftentimes, in that silence when I was sure the question was done and I was silently counting a few seconds in my head, the veterans would start talking again and go way deeper than we previously gone. It taught me to stay in the moment and not to be looking forward to the next part of the conversation. Too much can be missed when we do that.

Dustin: Setting up and tearing down a shoot every day taught me a lot about what is necessary, and what is nice to have, on a project; and being away from my family really brought out how much I love them.