Don't Ask, Don't Tell (2011)

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is based on writer and actor Marc Wolf's one man show of the same name. He interviewed hundreds of gay veterans and active service people and he tells their stories. It's a remarkable movie, poignant, stirring, at times funny and at other times tragic and brutal. Marc Wolf is so expressive that as he inhabits each character - male, female, old, young, angry, exuberant, reflective, and ultimately triumphant - the viewer's experience of the stories told is powerful and memorable. Director John Walsh has successfully translated this theater production into a compelling and graceful movie: effortlessly beautiful with an elegance that serves as a supportive backdrop for the stories. The recent expiration of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy makes these stories even more valuable as primary artifacts of a very long and excruciating period in our country's history. It is my hope that this movie can provide a jumping off point for soul searching discussions for years to come.