Filmmakers bridge generation gap with documentary

Feb. 12, 2008

Courtesy Photo Pearl Harbor survivor Herb Weatherwax poses with the Generations documentary crew at the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii.

By Amanda Robison
Entertainment editor

A group of young filmmakers recently joined together to create a project aimed at connecting generations through the stories of World War II veterans.

The documentary, aptly titled Generations, takes World War II veterans, their sons and their grandsons back to their respective battlegrounds to document the soldiers' stories. The crew is made up of two Baylor students, one Baylor alumnus and a University of Texas alumna. As members of the Millenial Generation, one of the main goals for the film was to say thank you to the Greatest Generation (U.S. citizens who fought in World War II), said Baylor alumnus Jonathan Reynolds, the film's director and producer.

"We want it to serve as a time capsule to inspire younger generations," Reynolds said.

Though the crew had been discussing the idea for some time, it didn't come to fruition until this past September, when they began planning the first trip, which would be to Pearl Harbor on the anniversary of its attack, Dec. 7. With plenty of vision in mind, the crew ventured to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they met Herb Weatherwax, a 90-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor.

Weatherwax, a Honolulu native who volunteers regularly at the Arizona Memorial, said in a phone interview that he was "willing to participate because (the documentary) was something interesting."

Weatherwax, his son Clarence and his grandson Mac, were the first "generations" the filmmakers interviewed about their experiences. The crew admitted that they "could not have planned it better, story-wise or visually."

They conducted the interviews on film at the memorial, the Punchbowl Cemetery and the Sheffield Barracks, where Weatherwax was based. Weatherwax said though he had shared some worn-out stories with his family, he had never been back to the sites with them.

"It was really the ultimate experience and really touching to me," he said. "It's hard to describe it in words. But the situation actually made us closer."

Reynolds said this was exactly what the documentary was attempting to capture. He said "it's a story about people putting aside differences and finding common ground."

"It's the exploration of inter-generational perspectives and the relation between the generations," Reynolds said.

And with 1,000 veterans dying every day, this may be the last chance to hear their stories.

"There's plenty of history available, but few personal tales of the actual experience," Reynolds said. He said the ultimate goal for the documentary is to get it into classrooms, to educate and enlighten future generations.

Waco junior Taylor Rudd, the cinematographer for the project, said the film will be "relevant to anybody, from eighth graders to seniors in college."

Rudd, along with Waco senior Jon Davis, who worked with sound and audio, said their studies in the film and digital media department helped.When they encountered a problem with a lighting angle, Rudd recalled a piece of advice that Dr. Corey Carbonara, professor of communication studies, had imparted to them: "Raise up the light."

"It took two and a half years to get the value in that," Rudd said.

Davis, who joined the project just two weeks prior to the Pearl Harbor trip, was forced to reorganize his finals schedule to work on the film.

"You never know when the opportunity will come up to use what you've learned, from class or from life," he said.

Jamie Jones, assistant director and producer, said she wanted to encourage students "to take advantage of learning, because you will have opportunities to use it." She said the project has been fulfilling to actually do it and know they are contributing something to future generations.The crew plans to travel to three other well-known battle locations: Normandy, Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Bulge.

Reynolds said he hoped the film will document "not just World War II, but exemplify the perfect archetype of the human fight for freedom."

Weatherwax said he felt the crew's objective to connect multiple generations will be achieved.

"It was something exceptional," he said. "The way we showed our emotions will be felt by whoever sees it."

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