Michael Jorgensen’s UNCLAIMED Opens in Toronto @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema

from vkpr

OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 AT THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

“A masterfully crafted story of two men whose lives intersect through the burdens of war, Unclaimed is emotionally riveting and an inspirational example of what strangers do when bound by loyalty, duty and faith.”

– Alexander Rogalski, Hot Docs program notes

After its World Premiere at Hot Docs in the spring of 2013 where it was hailed by critics, Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Michael Jorgensen’s Unclaimed is set to open in Toronto at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on Friday, September 20, 2013.

Is John Hartley Robertson a patriotic prisoner of war or a senile imposter? How do you prove an identity?

After enduring a traumatic childhood and two years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Tom Faunce made an oath to spend the rest of his life helping those in need.

Unclaimed is a dramatic and captivating documentary that follows Tom four decades later in his quest to uncover the true identity of a man living in a remote Vietnamese village who claims to be John Hartley Robertson, an American Special Forces soldier listed as “Killed in Action.” Tom’s faith, personal struggles and his firm belief in the military oath, “leave no man behind,” form the genesis for an emotional journey designed to reunite John with his American family. Working against government forces trying to cover up the story, Tom struggles to prove the lost soldier’s identity. Deeply moving, the film offers a compelling reason to revive the POW/ MIA discussion.

Since its headline grabbing world premiere at Hot Docs in April 2013, the story of John Hartley Robertson continues to unfold. Confident that the man she met is her brother, Jean Robertson Holley and her family continue to seek answers regarding the U.S. Government’s handling of SFC Robertson’s case and will launch a private forensic investigation involving DNA testing.

In July, the Associated Press exposed a U.S. Pentagon internal report that characterized MIA accounting agencies as “acutely dysfunctional … mismanaged … inept … working from databases riddled with unreliable data.” The Pentagon has ordered a review that will investigate “potential fraud” used in determining the fate of more than 83, 000 MIA’s from WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Michael Jorgensen is an Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker with a passion for character-driven storytelling.
During the late 1980’s and early 90’s, Michael garnered five titles as WCNPA Television Photojournalist of the Year. In 1992, he was one of the first journalists into war-torn Somalia prior to the UN-sanctioned “Operation Restore Hope.”
In 1998, Michael became the only filmmaker in history to be granted access inside a classified U.S. Department of Defense weapons competition. Battle of the X-Planes earned Michael awards for directing, writing, cinematography and an Emmy® in 2003 for Best Long Form News and Current Affairs Documentary.

Since then, he has worked exclusively on primetime specials for broadcasters around the world including Lost Nuke (2004); Mars Rising (supervising producer); Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy (2008, producer); Hunt for the Mad Trapper (2009); Hitler’s Stealth Fighter (2009).

Unclaimed is being released in Canada by KINOSMITH INC., an independent Canadian film distribution & marketing company.

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