Synopsis: (Documentary) Is war inevitable? What would happen if humans could understand conflict without creating enemies or fundamentally different 'others,' wrongheaded and therefore expendable? What if we could see that soldiers fight for many reasons, ideals, and pressures, but share a universal experience? Would this knowledge change the way we look at current wars in the Middle East? In this film, a young filmmaker, distant from the standard narrative of the U.S. war with Vietnam, uses archival footage and interviews to retell the story. Michael T. Barry Jr. brings training as a historian and filmmaker, compassion for the older generations of Americans and Vietnamese who suffered from the war, and a critical new eye to their stories. The Universal Soldier will rely upon archival and interview footage that has not been seen by U.S. audiences, including archival footage by Communist and U.S. combat photographers, interviews with Northern Vietnamese women who guarded and maintained the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and with ordinary U.S. soldiers remembering a war that continues to trouble them and the collective memory of their generation.

Cast: Duc Hoan, R.J. Del Vecchio

Crew: Karen Turner Creator; Michael T. Barry Jr. Writer ; Karen Turner Writer; Michael T. Barry Jr. Producer; Karen Turner Producer; Shirish Korde Music Susan O'Neill; Phan Thanh Hao Consultant

Production Background & Fun Facts: Michael T. Barry Jr. is a historian, writer, and documentary filmmaker focusing on modern American cross-cultural experiences and social justice. He earned his Bachelor's in History and Africana Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and his Master's in American and Middle Eastern History from Providence College. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Florida. Specifically, Michael researches Islam in America, Malcolm X, the 1960s, modern social justice movements, veterans affairs, and popular culture in America. He has worked on multiple documentary film and videography projects including works for acclaimed artists Karen Turner, Shirish Korde, Ibram X. Kendi, and Le Thi Diem Thuy, the National Football League, the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, and Providence Pictures. His films have won numerous awards including The Carter G. Woodson Award (2014) and Best Feature at the 2016 Nyack Film Festival. Along with his mentor, Karen Turner, he founded M.T. Barry Productions in 2015.

Festivals & Accolades: Best Feature, Nyack Film Festival, Official Selection, Miami Independent Film Festival, Official Selection, Southeast Online Film Festival

Official Website

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter: @mtbarryjr