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The Boys Who Said NO!

DRAFT RESISTANCE AND THE VIETNAM WAR

Judith Ehrlich, Director

Winner of Audience Award at 2021 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

The Boys Who Said No! is the first documentary film to profile the young men and women who actively opposed the military draft to end the Vietnam War. Their personal and collective acts of nonviolent resistance, risking arrest and imprisonment for up to 5 years, were a critical part of the antiwar movement, intensifying opposition to the war and eventually forcing an end to both conscription and the war. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, resistance to the American war in Vietnam grew substantially. Hundreds of thousands of draft-age men refused to cooperate with the draft. Tens of thousands emigrated to Canada and other countries. American soldiers in Vietnam increasingly refused to follow orders, risking court martial and prison for organizing inside the military. Claims for conscientious objector status soared to unprecedented levels. Millions marched against the war. This account of nonviolent resistance is an essential example of today's movements for social justice and peace.


Released in 2021

Running time: 95 minutes


FHFF Film Category: Tales from the Heart

FHFF Film Sponsor: San Juan Business Park


IN-THEATRE SCREENING:

Friday, October 21 - 1:00 PM

Saturday, October 22 - 4:00 PM



FILMMAKER ATTENDANCE: In Person

Director Judith Ehrlich will be joining us for a Q&A directly following the in-theatre screenings.


ONLINE SCREENINGS: On-Demand October 24 - 30 on fhff.org with a recorded Q&A from the in-theatre screening.

photo: a still from THE BOYS WHO SAID NO!

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Director Judith Ehrlich

Judith Ehrlich

Judith Ehrlich is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and producer. She is known for co-directing The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009), which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards. Before her career in filmmaking, she was a teacher and curriculum developer. She researched American history with a focus on pacifism when employed by National Public Radio. When she began making The Good War and Those Who Fought It, this research informed her as she focused on conscientious objectors during World War II. Once completed, it was broadcast on PBS in 2002. Her most recent film, The Boys Who Said NO! is playing at Friday Harbor Film Festival.



 

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