ST. LOUIS - eTradeWire -- Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam, the latest documentary from St. Louis filmmaker Joseph Puleo, will make its hometown premiere at the 35th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Black Americans fought two wars, one in Vietnam and one at home for civil rights. As disproportionate numbers of Black men were drafted and sent to the front lines, the racism they faced in the United States followed them overseas. Through firsthand testimony, Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam examines discrimination within the military and the lasting physical, emotional, and social consequences veterans faced after returning home.

Production on Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam began following a chance encounter at the Costco Tire Center in South County. While waiting for his car, Puleo struck up a conversation with Vietnam veteran Edward Drew that soon turned to Drew's experiences as a Black serviceman during the Vietnam War. That unexpected meeting became the genesis of a documentary that ultimately grew to include the stories of veterans James "Protein" Williams, McKinley "Mac" Hubbard, John Scates, Clayvon Wesley, and Freddie Drayton, along with Gold Star family members Estella Shockley and John Shockley (himself a Vietnam veteran). The film also features interviews with scholars and historians, including Washington University's Dr. Gerald Early and Saint Louis University's Dr. Christopher Tinson.

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In 2025, Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam was selected as one of six documentary projects nationwide for the Better Angels Lavine Fellowship, a companion program to the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The fellowship supports documentaries exploring historically underrepresented stories in American history through funding, mentorship, and guidance from leading members of the documentary film community.

The film made its world premiere at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. It has since continued its festival run across the country and will now return home for its St. Louis premiere at SLIFF.

Following the screening, a Q&A will feature veterans profiled in the film, Gold Star family member Estella Shockley, and director Joseph Puleo. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Christopher Tinson, professor of African American Studies at Saint Louis University.

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About the Film
https://www.facebook.com/blackinvietnamdoc
BROTHERS IN BLOOD: BLACK IN VIETNAM

St. Louis Premiere
35th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival
Saturday, November 14, 2026 — 4:00 p.m.
Hi-Pointe Theatre