"Recaptures the Vietnam era's revolutionary zeitgeist." Phil Villarreal, ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The Vietnam War has been the subject of hundreds of films, both fiction and non-fiction, but this story-the story of the rebellion of thousands of American soldiers against the war-has never been told in film. This is certainly not for lack of evidence. By the Pentagon's own figures, 503,926 "incidents of desertion" occurred between 1966 and 1971; officers were being "fragged"(killed with fragmentation grenades by their own troops) at an alarming rate; and by 1971 entire units were refusing to go into battle in unprecedented numbers. In the course of a few short years, over 200 underground newspapers were published by soldiers around the world; local and national antiwar GI organizations were joined by thousands; thousands more demonstrated against the war at every major base in the world in 1970 and 1971, including in Vietnam itself; stockades and federal prisons were filling up with soldiers jailed for their opposition to the war and the military.

Yet today, with hundreds of thousands of American GIs once again occupying countries on the other side of the world, these history-changing events have been erased from America's public memory.

SIR! NO SIR! aims to change all that. The film does four things: 1) Brings to life the history of the GI movement through the stories of those who were part of it; 2) Reveals the explosion of defiance that the movement gave birth to with never-before-seen archival material; 3) Explores the profound impact that movement had on the military and the war itself; and 4) Tells the story of how and why the GI Movement has been replaced with the myth of the spat-upon veteran.

SIR! NO SIR is a film that challenges deeply-held beliefs not just about the Vietnam War and those who fought it, but about the world we live in today. It is a vivid portrayal of William Faulkner's famous observation that "The past isn't dead; it isn't even past."

NOTE: Speakers are available to appear at screenings of this film. They include the director, David Zeiger, veterans and academics who appear in the film, and veterans from the Iraq War. Please inquire.



Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2006     Copyright Date: 2005
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-515-6     VHS ISBN: 1-59458-514-8

Reviews "David Zeiger's superb documentary about the Vietnam War era's GI protest movement is jammed with incident and anecdote and moves with nearly as much breathless momentum as the movement itself." Chuck Wilson, L.A. WEEKLY "Because it's bolstered by proud memories of Vietnam vets who turned against the war, Sir! No Sir! rings with an exultant, even elated tone." Robert Koehler, VARIETY "A 'must-see' documentary which seeks to return to the historical record the pivotal story of the GI anti-war movement during the Vietnam War." Les Wright, CULTUREVULTURE.NET "A powerful documentary that uncovers half-forgotten history, history that is still relevant but not in ways you might be expecting." Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES "This is powerful stuff, offering us not only a new look at the past, but to the unavoidably relevant insights into the present." Elizabeth Weitzman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "A tight, engrossing and excellent chronicle of the movement made by these heroic men who chose to question authority instead of falling in line." Felix Vasquez, FILM THREAT "The soldiers' disillusionment at what they saw in Vietnam is palpable, and Zeiger does a service by bringing their stories out of history's forgotten files and into the light. " Rob Thomas, CAPITAL TIMES (MADISON, WI) "Sir! No Sir! movingly captures the raw excitement of grunts discovering their power and their voices in their ability to resist." Nathan Rabin, ONION AV CLUB "The voices of the veterans alone, however, make this an important and poignant film that can speak to any generation." John McMurtrie, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "Zeiger's movie is a timely salute to the risky and brave men and women who had the temerity not only to think for themselves but to speak their minds." Wesley Morris, BOSTON GLOBE "This compelling documentary by director David Zeiger recounts what were more than half a million 'incidents of desertion' during the war, many of them acts of direct rebellion against the legitimacy of the war." Bruce Newman, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS "Honors those who fought, then questioned the morality of that fight, then joined the national protest." Michael Phillips, CHICAGO TRIBUNE "Shines a light on a forgotten corner of the antiwar movement: the men (and a few women) who returned from their tours of duty filled with doubt and disillusionment over what they saw, and did, there." Steven Rea, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "This is an important chapter in the Vietnam library of films." Richard Roeper, EBERT and ROEPER "Sir! No Sir! so vividly evokes the rage, passion and provocation of the era it chronicles that it feels up-to-the-minute." Gene Seymour, NEWSDAY "David Zeiger's superb documentary about the Vietnam War era's GI protest movement is jammed with incident and anecdote and moves with nearly as much breathless momentum as the movement itself." Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly