War, peace, and the courage to find common ground.
During the Vietnam era, the political and emotional divides between active duty soldiers and the burgeoning peace community at home in the United States left deep scars unresolved, and fractured families and communities. Nearly 50 years have passed since the beginning of the Vietnam War. While the politics and casualties are now a part of history, deep scars remain between those who served and those who fought a different war at home.
"Beyond The Divide" hopes to illuminate a path to healing old wounds by portraying authentic peace-building. In the early '80s in Missoula, Montana, a group of residents decided to commit an act of civil disobedience by painting a peace symbol on the face of an enormous communications panel that sat atop a hillside overlooking the town. The reaction essentially divided the community between anti-war and military-establishment supporters, as past resentments resurfaced.
The one-hour documentary traces the aftermath of this act and follows the story of how two individuals — former Vietnam explosives engineer Dan Gallagher and fervent peace advocate Betsy Mulligan-Daguea — come to a deeper understanding of each other's differences through conversation and collaboration, ultimately finding that the ideals they share are much stronger than imagined.
“Beyond The Divide” is on Facebook, Instagram, and you can follow @BeyondDivide on Twitter.
© 2016 Beyond the Divide. Director and producer is Jan Selby.
