A Soldier's Dream (also known as A Soldier's Dream: The Milt Feldman Story) is a 2018 American documentary film. The 50-minute documentary tells the story of Milton "Milt" Feldman, a Jewish-American soldier who served as a Private First Class with the 106th Infantry Division during World War II. Private Feldman was captured during the Battle of the Bulge, and subsequently held as a prisoner of war at Stalag IV-B.
The documentary chronicles the wartime experiences of Milton Feldman, focusing on his capture by the German Army during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and his subsequent imprisonment in a prisoner-of-war camp. The film explores Feldman's survival ordeal and his eventual liberation by the Russian troops. The documentary also explores Feldman's family background, including their struggles during the Great Depression, and the rise of antisemitism leading to Nazi sympathizers marching in the streets of New York. It features contemporary interviews with the 94-year-old veteran reflecting on his military service and the legacy of World War II.[1]
Production
A Soldier's Dream was written and directed by Eduardo Montes-Bradley and produced by Heritage Film Project in 2018.[2]The documentary was based on a previous interview with Mr. Feldman conducted by Seth Bauer.[3] Filming took place inside Feldman's residence at Stoneridge Creek in Pleasanton, California, where the filmmaker conducted extensive interviews with the veteran. Other locations include sites where the Battle of the Bulge took place, in nearby towns, and parts of the road leading to Stalag IV-B in Germany.[4]
Release and Distribution
The documentary had its premiere on August 11, 2018, at a special screening at Stoneridge Creek in Pleasanton.[5] The film was later broadcast on PBS stations.
Critical Reception
The documentary has been recognized with multiple festival awards and has screened at international venues. It was particularly acclaimed at the International Historical and Military Film Festival in Warsaw, where it won the Best Documentary award.[6] On November 4, 2018, the film premiered at the Virginia Film Festival.[7] On November 3, 2018, A Soldier's Dream was shown at the San Francisco Veterans' Film Festival, and on November 6 of the same year, it was presented at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.[8]
Milton Feldman was a Jewish-American soldier who served with the 106th Infantry Division during World War II. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge, one of the largest and bloodiest battles fought by American forces during the war, and was subsequently held as a prisoner of war at Stalag IV-B, a German POW camp.[9] In the final scene, Mr. Feldman reads "A Soldier's Dream," a poem he wrote while in the trenches, as he braced for the German advance. The poem and his reflections speak of Mr. Feldman as a Pacifist, thankful that he did not have to confront the enemy and hurt anyone.[10]
Legacy
The documentary serves as both a historical record of one soldier's World War II experience and a testament to the resilience of American POWs during the conflict. It contributes to the broader documentation of immigrants from Poland to New York as Mr. Feldman recalls the ordeal of his father, who immigrated to America and later served at the Battle of Verdun during World War I. The film also explores the fate of Holocaust survivors and Jewish-American military service members' experiences during World War II.
↑ IMDb title|8333304|A Soldier's Dream: The Milt Feldman Story
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