Healing the Civilian-Military Divide
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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 18 September 20 - October 3, 2019 Follow us on social media! sdnews.com Mission Hills Roaring ‘20s home tour P. 15 Old Town • Mission Hills • Bankers Hill Hillcrest • University Heights • Normal Heights • North Park • South Park • Golden Hill • Kensington • Talmadge ARTS P. 3 Growth of short-term vacation rentals Full schedule of GI Film Fest fuels fury HISTORY P. 8 Healing the civilian-military The Barcelona’s time in Bankers Hill divide San Diego-based artist being filmed as he transforms a Huey helicopter into a piece of art.(Photo courtesy GI Film Fest) THEATER P. 9 GI Film Fest explores returning from war across generations KENDRA SITTON | Uptown News does not have a stated theme out- feature films, documentaries side the festival’s purpose: show- and shorts have a connected The fifth iteration of the GI casing films created by, for and through-line. Film Festival San Diego, which about military service members Mayoral candidate Barbara Bry at is taking place from Sept. 24-29, and veterans. Still, the selected see GI Film Fest, pg 2 a press conference outside The Louisiana on short-term vacation rentals. (Photo by Helen Rowe Allen) Cygnet’s ‘The Virgin Trial’ Truax redevelopment a red Onion? KENDRA SITTON | Uptown News FOOD AND DRINK P. 10 The short-term vacation rental Changes to historic AIDS hospice divides community industry has continued to grow in KENDRA SITTON | Uptown News San Diego, fueling tourist spend- ing and jobs, as well as fears these The Truax House is now properties are taking housing a blood-red color trimmed stock off the market. with black. Just a few years Estimates of how many whole- ago, San Diego’s first AIDS home rentals are available at any hospice was a blighted given time in the city range from building covered in a flak- 8,000 to 16,000. ing eggshell siding with a No one knows the exact num- New cocktail at Madison on Park storied history and an un- ber of short-term rentals (STRs) known future. — defining that statistic gets com- Would the house where so plicated as some homes are listed Index many patients breathed their on multiple platforms and others last during the AIDS epidem- have owners that occupy it part Opinion 6 ic be converted into a park? A of the year — but it does appear Calendar 12 community center? A museum? to be a growing industry even as Puzzles 13 Housing? the specifics are fuzzy. Classifieds 14 see Truax House, pg 5 An outside look at the refurbished Truax House (Photo by Kendra Sitton) see Short-term, pg 7 Contact us Editorial/Letters 858-270-3103 x 136 [email protected] Advertising 858-270-3103 x 106 [email protected] www.sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group San Diego Uptown News 2 September 20 - October 3, 2019 ARTS sdnews.com it's through sculpture and art Victoria, after the screening of FROM PAGE 1 forms, whether it's through phys- “Homemade” at the festival. GI FILM FEST ical activity and things like that,” The local artist featured in the Marcolongo explained. “It's some- 2017 Emmy-award winning doc- “A lot of the films, and spe- thing that resonates with multi- umentary “Take Me Home Huey” cifically ‘Homemade’ and ‘Take ple generations and we need to be will also be speaking at the event. Me Home Huey,’ have to do with there to help and support them. His mixed-media transforma- healing from war,” said Lisa San Diego has a great collabora- tion of the Huey was the original Marcolongo, a member of the tive and coalition of service pro- premise of the film, but it became Advisory Committee for the GI viders and community members about helping Vietnam veterans Film Festival San Diego. “We're that are here just to support them who visited the 47-foot-long still at war and our active duty during that journey.” sculpture heal. and our veterans and their fam- She sees the divide between ci- According to the U.S. ilies are still healing from war.” vilian and military life as one of Department of Veterans Affairs, “Homemade” is a documen- the barriers making it difficult for Adam Sorenson’s return to civilian life is the focus of “Homemade.” (Photos it is estimated that approximate- tary film following a combat vet- veterans to return to their com- courtesy GI Film Festival) ly 7.3 million Americans who eran and his family for six years munities. Marcolongo believes served during the Vietnam War as he struggles to reintegrate to the film fest is an important place you're going to be able to meet onscreen was an intentional from 1964 and 1975 are alive civilian life. Its world premiere is for veterans to meet people in the active duty and veterans at the choice. today. However, many Vietnam at the Museum of Photographic San Diego area willing to support same time you're viewing some “We really wanted [the film] War-era veterans do not share Arts on Sept. 25. “Take Me Home them since bases are largely inac- of those stories and journeys to feel like you were on the in- their stories or experiences, and Huey” opens the film fest on Sept. cessible to civilians. that they wanted to highlight,” side and that you were a part of are affected by PTSD. 24 with its portrayal of a San “I understand that there are she said. Adam and Victoria and their fam- “In this case, the art became Diego-based artist’s project to re- security protocols and safety is Marcolongo is passionate ily's life,” said director Danielle a catalyst for conversation. It store a Huey helicopter from the number one, but at the same about supporting veterans be- Bernstein. kickstarted conversation and al- Vietnam War and then reunite it time, that kind of cut us off cause of her husband’s struggle The film itself is grounded lowed these veterans to open up with its former crew. from creating more links and with post traumatic stress dis- in empathy, with the directors and talk like they've never talked “‘Homemade’ is about connections between the mili- order (PTSD) when he returned behind the cameras describing before,” Maloney said. Afghanistan. ‘Take Me Home tary and the community. That's from combat in 2007. She need- their subjects as close friends. Maloney decided to embark on Huey’ is about Vietnam. These just one more reason why the ed the help and support of San Each time they visited Adam the project after he turned anoth- are two different generations. GI Film Festival is so import- Diegans as the family learned to Sorenson as he navigated life af- er helicopter into a sculpture. He These are two different conflicts ant. It's not just about watch- manage his condition. ter war, they worried first about wanted to do the same with a and wars. They're all healing and ing those films that you're “Our family is thriving be- making sure the family was go- Huey to thank veterans who nev- finding ways to do that, whether going to see in that theater; cause of those resources that ing to make it as Sorenson battled er got properly welcomed home reached out to us and helped us,” addiction and health issues, and during the Vietnam War. she said. second about filming. “The first thing that turned me Of the films she viewed while “We're a couple and we were onto thinking about this project making selections for this year’s documenting a couple. I real- was the fact that I learned that festival, Marcolongo particularly ly became friends with Victoria there was a 50th commemora- resonated with “Homemade,” as throughout the film,” Bernstein tion of the Vietnam War,” he it showed another family dealing said. She believes since her and said. “When I thought about with invisible wounds from war. co-director Jason Maris did the the Vietnam War, I thought, For the filmmakers, giving project together, they were able to wouldn't it be ideal if I could get The finished art project. viewers a relatable perspective connect in a different way than if an old scrapped Huey helicopter Maris executed the filming alone. and transform that to be a piece What resulted was an intimate of art to thank those that never portrayal of the struggles to re- got a welcome home.” adjust to civilian life after a trau- He wanted the art to engage matic brain injury. all senses, which is why he orig- The Marine Corps is currently inally contacted the filmmakers in discussions with them to use to have a documentary accom- the film as a possible training pany the transformation. The tool. Bernstein believes civilian project soon went viral, with culture can learn something senators and other lawmakers from the military as well and hailing the work and a tour of the needs to better help people find transformed helicopter traveling purpose in their lives. across the U.S. It currently resides “I'm a huge advocate for how in Palm Springs. do we make transition more “I've always said this is the streamlined and more positive proudest thing I've done — the and easier to integrate to civilian whole project. It's been incredi- culture, and also how do civilians ble and it's taken off organically. start to look at ourselves and how It's grown by leaps and bounds. we participate in a culture that When I envisioned the project, doesn't give us daily feeling of I had no [idea] the reach that it purpose and meaning,” she said.