Academy’s Contemporary Documentaries Series Examines the Wartime Experience

Beverly Hills, CA — “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” and “Body of War” will screen as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 27th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” series on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission is free.

Offering a profound glimpse into the human side of America’s current conflicts, “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” draws upon a National Endowment for the Arts project to gather the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Richard E. Robbins directed and produced this powerful documentary, which was nominated for an Academy Award® in the Documentary Feature category. Robbins will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.

“Body of War,” directed and produced by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue, follows the story of 22-year-old Tomas Young, who volunteers to fight in Afghanistan but ends up being sent to Iraq. Within three days he is hit by mortar fire and sustains life-changing injuries. Upon returning home, Young’s personal challenges are juxtaposed against the nation’s own struggle to understand its leaders’ decision to go to war. Donahue will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.

The 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series continues through June 3, showcasing feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2007 Academy Award nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.

All films will screen at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. All seating is unreserved.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. Free parking is available through the entrance on Homewood Avenue (one block north of Fountain Avenue). For additional information, visit www.oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.