2 Luzerne County filmmakers film a vet’s journey across NY

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Vietnam veteran going for walks across New York state and a pair of filmmaking brothers from Luzerne County who documented the journey.
The result was an award-winning film that is gotten national publicity.

The documentary “Walk with Frank” is about a Vietnam veteran’s trek throughout NY state to deliver recognition to PTSD, but the movie was created by a pair of Wilkes-Barre brothers who, not as well lengthy ago, had been borrowing their parent’s camcorder.

Minor did they know it would convert into an award-profitable vocation.

“We would get our hands on our moms and dads vhs and make silly films on a snow working day. More than time we recognized we favored accomplishing that extra than anything at all. we tried pursuing it as a career and develop into as fantastic as we could,” mentioned Ryan Mayer the filmmaker.

Stroll with Frank chronicles Frank Romeo’s 750-mile walk from Buffalo to Extended Island. Romeo was ambushed and critically wounded in the jungles of Vietnam. That led to decades of alcoholic beverages abuse and prison. Inevitably, he arrived to a much better understanding of his earlier, and his walk was aimed at helping other people open up up and share their knowledge.

“It peeled again the levels and uncovered a good deal of things. I arrived to terms with a whole lot of issues that I experienced suppressed. it was about just as considerably encouraging me as it aided the other veterans,” claims Romeo.

The Mayers brothers listened to about Romeo’s walk via a close friend and realized it was a job they preferred to be a aspect of. they not only filmed his three-and-a-50 %-month wander throughout NY condition, but they also stayed in homeless shelters and shared foods in meals kitchens. Hoping to get a reasonable idea of what it is like to be a veteran battling with mental illness.

“We really connected on a individual level, connected with frank’s story, who he was and his loved ones, who they had been. definitely it felt like this was a story that desired to be told,” added Matt Mayers filmmaker.

“Most of these vets wouldn’t have opened up to us the way they did to Frank, so just staying with Frank, and acquiring the option to speak to folks, allowed us to listen to what truly transpired. A large amount of situations we would listen to the Hollywood edition of it. This is the reality of what was heading on,” continued Matt.

When the brothers screened “Walk with Frank” at the Kirby Centre in Could, it had presently gained many awards at film festivals and aired nationally on PBS.

Matt and Ryan are functioning on yet another documentary about the merger of GAR and Myers Significant Educational institutions.

You can uncover out a lot more about their documentary on Wander with Frank.com.