Soldiers of Conscience film & discussion with Tobias Wolff

The award winning documentary "Soldiers of Conscience" will be shown on Wednesday, September 10, 7PM, at the First Baptist Church, 305 N. California Ave., Palo Alto, as the opening of the fall series, "Faithful Citizens Go to the Polls". Made with official permission from the US Army, "Soldiers of Conscience" includes never before seen footage of basic training and the war in Iraq, and interviews with a West Point ethics instructor as well as several Conscientious Objectors. Well-known author and Vietnam veteran Tobias Wolff will lead the discussion following the film. Co-director and co-producer Catherine Ryan will be present for the screening and available for Q&A.

From West Point grads to drill sergeants, from Abu Ghraib interrogators to reservist-mechanics, soldiers in the US Army today reveal their deepest moral concerns about what they are asked to do in war. Their message: every soldier wrestles with their conscience over killing. Although most decide to kill, some refuse. "Soldiers of Conscience" reveals that far more soldiers refuse to kill than we might expect. This provocative film tackles profound questions of war, peace, and the power of the human conscience.

Tobias Wolff is an author, Vietnam veteran, Roman Catholic, and Stanford English professor. Two of his books are based on his experience in the Special Forces during the Vietnam war, "The Barracks Thief" (winner of the Pen-Faulkner Award) and "In Pharaoh's Army" (finalist for the National Book Award). Wolff will facilitate the discussion following the screening.

"Soldiers of Conscience" has been awarded Best Documentary by the Salem Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Foyle Film Festival, Northern Ireland, and is scheduled to be aired on PBS October 16th. For more information about the film, click here.