SUNKEN ROADS
Three Generations After D-Day
Documentary Feature (First Run Features)
Don McCarthy was 20 years old on D-Day, when his infantry division landed on Omaha Beach in 1944. Don and the other veterans who survived D-Day will someday soon pass into memory and legend. This realization inspires 20-year-old filmmaker Charlotte Juergens to join Don and seven other D-day vets on a journey to France - a commemorative pilgrimage to Omaha Beach for the 70th anniversary of the invasion.
The vets come to see Charlotte as a granddaughter, trusting her with their stories as they confront the trauma that still haunts them 70 years after the war. In capturing their stories, Sunken Roads offers a new, intergenerational perspective on D-Day, presenting the memories of 90-year-old combat veterans through the eyes of a 20-year-old woman.
Characters
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Don
Don McCarthy grew up in Boston and joined the 29th Infantry Division in England in early 1944 as a member of the 116th Infantry's 1st Battalion. His landing craft capsized on D-Day, and later on he was wounded on Omaha Beach. He worked for Bell Telephone for more than three decades after the war and lived in Rhode Island.
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Suzette
Suzanne Gandon grew up near the commune of Juaye-Mondaye in Calvados, Normandy, where she experienced D-Day as a young girl. During the invasion, Suzette lived with her mother and two sisters in a trench outside their home. Suzette remains in Juaye-Mondaye, where she lives in a restored thirteenth-century farmhouse.
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Charlotte
Charlotte never met her great grandfather Pat Hanna, who landed on Omaha Beach in WWII and died before she was born. As a child, she loved listening to recordings of his gravelly voice. She started making Sunken Roads as an effort to get to know Pat indirectly by understanding the men who shared his world.
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Pat
Pat Hanna grew up in Texas and served as a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes during WWII, while engaging in intelligence work for the US Army. Pat attached himself to the 29th Infantry Division during the D-Day invasion. Pat received the Distinguished Service Cross and worked as a newspaperman after the war.
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Arden
Arden grew up in Pennsylvania and landed on Omaha Beach in the first minutes of the D-Day invasion as a member of Company H, 116th Infantry, 29th Division. He holds two Purple Hearts for war wounds. After the war he settled in Erie, Pennsylvania, and worked for the U.S. Postal Service.
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Hal
A native New Yorker, Hal Baumgarten took pre-med courses at New York University before being drafted. He joined the 29th Infantry Division and was wounded on Omaha Beach in the first minutes of the D-Day invasion as a member of Company B, 116th Infantry. He gained an M.D. degree after the war and lived in Florida.
Filmmaking Team
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Charlotte - Director
Charlotte Juergens is an interdisciplinary scholar and award-winning filmmaker. She currently serves as the Shelby White & Leon Levy Director of Public History at The Green-Wood Cemetery in New York City. Her past archival work includes collaboration on numerous films and museum exhibitions. Charlotte is a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan and holds degrees from Yale and the University of Chicago.
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Lydia - Producer
Lydia Robertson has worked in film and television for over 30 years, wearing many hats of all shapes and sizes. Her efforts as a producer, fundraiser, director, news and documentary film editor, sound editor, audio and video engineer, rock photographer, and lighting designer have resulted in many international and domestic awards, including numerous Emmys and one Oscar.
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Mark - Editor
Mark Juergens has been a filmmaker in New York since 1982. His work as an editor has allowed him to stumble into documentary and feature films, music videos, episodic television and all sorts experimental video weirdness. Some of his projects have aired on HBO, Comedy Central, A&E, MSNBC, and PBS. Films he's edited have screened at Sundance, NYFF, SXSW, DOCNYC, and Berlinale. Many have won awards.
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Jordan - Composer
Jordan Plotner is a British/American award-winning composer and writer based in Los Angeles. His music has appeared in over forty films, television shows, and commercials worldwide. He has worked with esteemed film composers Marco Beltrami and Joe Trapanese, and has worked on projects for artists ranging from Hans Zimmer and Angelina Jolie to Daft Punk. In 2017 he graduated from Yale University cum laude.
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Mark - Composer
Mark Suozzo is a Visiting Associate Professor of Film Scoring in the Department of Music at NYU. He has scored many feature films and documentaries for award-winning filmmakers. His work for television includes scores for HBO, PBS’s American Experience, POV and Independent Lens. Suozzo’s original works have been performed at venues from Carnegie Hall to the Blue Note.
Watch Now
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Sunken Roads is available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Kanopy, and Vimeo on Demand . If you enjoy the film, please leave a review to let us know!
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In addition to the film itself, our Blu-rays include twenty exclusive bonus scenes. Order via Amazon or save 35% if you purchase directly through our distributer, First Run Features.
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In addition to the film itself, our DVDs include twelve bonus scenes. Order via Amazon or save 10% if you purchase directly through our distributer, First Run Features.
Events
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National Museum of the U.S. Army - 80th Anniversary of D-Day Screening
June 1, 2024
2:00 PM
National Museum of the U.S. ArmyOn Saturday June 1, join us at the National Museum of the U.S. Army for a special free screening of Sunken Roads to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Stay for a Q&A with the filmmakers and historian Joe Balkoski. The Museum is located near Washington, D.C. in Fort Belvoir, VA, where the 29th U.S. Infantry Division is headquartered. We hope to see many 29ers and their friends and families in the audience— it’s a privilege to share our film with you!
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National Museum of the U.S. Army - Remember D-Day Webinar
April 30, 2024
7:00 PM
ZoomSunken Roads director Charlotte Juergens will moderate a panel conversation about the upcoming 80th anniversary of D-Day. Representatives from museums and memorials will offer brief presentations about their institution’s 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations, followed by moderator questions and a virtual audience Q&A. Panelists will reflect on the challenges and possibilities of sharing D-Day’s story with new and younger audiences.
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Coastline Children's Film Festival - Live Screening
March 7, 2023
6:30 PM
Three Oaks Township Public LibraryScreening at the Coastline Children’s Film Festival in Three Oaks Michigan! More details here.
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National Museum of the U.S. Army - Live Screenings
May 27, 2022 - May 30, 2022
National Museum of the U.S. ArmyWe’re delighted to partner with the National Museum of the U.S. Army to present seven live screenings of Sunken Roads this Memorial Day weekend.
Showtimes
Friday May 27 - 10:00 a.m.
Saturday May 28 - 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
Sunday May 29 - 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m.
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Yale Club of New York City - Live Screening
May 22, 2022
3:00 PM
Yale Club of New York CityThis is a private screening for Yale Club members and guests. If you are not a member and would like to attend, please contact Charlotte Juergens directly at charlotte.juergens@me.com. Doors open at 2:30 pm, and the screening begins at 3:00 pm. Charlotte will attend for a Q&A and DVD signing.
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Bijou Theater - Streaming
January 1, 2022 - June 30, 2022
Bijou Theater, Lincoln City, ORThe Bijou Theatre in Lincoln City, OR presents Sunken Roads: Three Generations After D-Day on Virtual Cinema. When you buy a ticket, 50% of the proceeds go straight back to the Bijou to support them during this difficult time.
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Smith Rafael Film Center - Streaming
December 31, 2021 - February 28, 2023
Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CAVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum - Live Screening
December 19, 2021
1:00 PM
Pearl Harbor Aviation MuseumWe're so grateful to the Museum for spotlighting our film as the final event in their monthlong 80th Anniversary commemorations. Director Charlotte Juergens, Producer Lydia Robertson, and Editor Mark Juergens will all attend for an in-person Q&A after the screening. Support for this event was provided by the Department of Defense as part of the 2020 WWII Commemoration legislation.
Event open to the public, free with general admission to the museum.
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NYC Theatrical Run - Week 2
November 26 - December 2, 2021
Cinema Village Theater, NYCIn-person theatrical distribution in New York City, timed to Thanksgiving Weekend.
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Kiggins Theatre - Streaming
November 27, 2021 - February 1, 2023
Kiggins Theater, Vancouver, WAVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Gold Coast Film Festival - Streaming
November 27, 2021 - June 30, 2022
Great Neck, NYVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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DasFilm Fest - Streaming
November 27, 2021 - June 30, 2022
Corvallis, ORVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Tallahassee Film Society - Streaming
November 27, 2021 - May 31, 2022
Tallahassee, FLVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Salem Cinema - Streaming
November 27, 2021 - February 28, 2023
Salem, ORVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Laemmle Royal - Streaming
November 12, 2021 - January 31, 2022
Los Angeles, CAVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Aperture Cinema - Live Screening
November 9, 2021
6:35 PM | 8:15 PM
Aperture Cinema, Winston-Salem, NCLive screening at the Aperture Cinema in Winston-Salem NC.
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NYC Theatrical Run - Week 1
November 5, 2021 - November 11, 2021
Cinema Village Theater, NYCIn-person theatrical distribution in New York City, timed to Veterans Day.
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North Park Theatre - Streaming
November 5, 2021 - January 31, 2023
North Park Theater, Buffalo, NYVirtual cinema screenings — you can stream from anywhere!
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Los Angeles Theatrical Run - Live
November 5, 2021 -
November 11, 2021
Laemmle Royal Theater, Los AngelesIn-person theatrical distribution in New York City, timed to Thanksgiving.
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Carmarthen Bay Film Festival
June 1, 2020 - June 4, 2020
Llanelli, WalesSunken Roads chosen as an Official Festival Selection. Festival postponed due to Covid-19.
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Normandie - World War II International Film Festival
June 5, 2020 - June 7, 2020
Carentan les Marais, Normandy,Sunken Roads awarded festival’s prize for Outstanding Feature Documentary.
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Virtual Sneak Preview
June 4, 2020 - June 24, 2020
Virtual sneak preview of our film co-hosted by the following festivals, museums, and nonprofit organizations:G.I. Film Festival San Diego
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
29th Division Association
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
USS Midway Museum
World War II Foundation & the
Normandie-World War II International Film Festival.
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Cleveland Museum of Art
June 1, 2020, 10:30 AM
June 24, 2020, 11:30 AM
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OHTwo special screenings at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cancelled due to COVID-19.
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Florida State University
May 22, 2020 - May 25, 2020
Marianna, FLInvited by FSU's Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to present Sunken Roads as the central event of a new conference on WWII Memory at Chipola College. Cancelled due to COVID-19.
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Mystic Luxury Cinemas
May 5, 2020
10:30 AM
Luxury Cinemas, Mystic CTSpecial one-time screening in Mystic, Connecticut. Deferred due to COVID-19.
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Visions du Réel Film Festival
April 24, 2020 - May 2, 2020
Nyon, SwitzerlandSunken Roads selected for the Visions du Réel Media Library. It will be available for industry professionals to view during the Festival and for 3 months after the festival.
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Gene Siskel Film Center
January 12, 2020 - 10:30 AM
January 15, 2020 - 11:30 AM
Gene Siskel Film Festival, Chicago ILGene Siskel Film Center, as part of their 2020 Stranger Than Fiction series.
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G.I. Film Festival San Diego
September 28, 2019
10:30 AM
San Diego, CASunken Roads nominated for Best Feature Documentary.
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Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
August 25, 2019
6:35 PM
Middlebury, VTWorld Premiere at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
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Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
June 8, 2019
6:35 PM
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Honolulu, HILive screening at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum as part of their commemorations for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
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Château de Canisy
June 7, 2019
6:35 PM
Chateau Canisy, Normandy, FranceLive screening at the Château de Canisy in Normandy as part of commemorations for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
June 6, 2019
6:35 PM
National Museum of the USAF
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OHLive screening at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force as part of their commemorations for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
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National WWII Museum Cruise Ships
June 5, 2019
Normandy, FranceLive screenings in Normandy aboard National WWII Museum cruise ships as part of the museum’s commemorations for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
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National WWII Museum
June 4, 2019
6:35 PM
National WWII Museum
New Orleans, LASneak peek screening at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans as part of their 75th anniversary of D-Day commemorations. Q&A with the director afterwards.
Press Highlights
MSNBC - Andrea Mitchell
“The film is extraordinary.”
New York Times
"Charlotte Juergens accompanies D-Day veterans to Omaha Beach in a documentary said to take an essay-film approach akin to the work of Agnès Varda or Ross McElwee"
Niagara Gazette
“Juergens’ filmmaking style is classic cinema verite: the cinema of truth. There is no artifice. There are no special effects. She’s never intrusive. She holds her camera at a soft angle. She lets her subjects control what the lens and in-camera microphone will discover. Their faces are iconic.”
Saturday Evening Post
"In a disarmingly sweet film that is part historical documentary, part home movie, Juergens provides the men with a chance to make one final plea that the world not forget the things they did and saw."
Film Critic Jim Schembri
“Extremely well-edited and briskly paced, Sunken Roads is an unconventional war documentary, and all the better for its verite approach, which offers a retelling of a history-changing event that is highly personal, often touching and replete with insights into the realities of battle and the true cost of war.”
Film Critic Matthew Pejkovic
“Beautifully crafted and incredibly emotional... an experience where history, memory, and the spirit of those who served during WWII are felt in every frame... Juergens succeeds in making her first feature a triumphantly impactful one.”
JumpCut
“[Juergens] manages to capture an innate gentleness and twinkly-eyed mischief in all of these men... Sunken Roads brings a hugely personal touch to such a massive moment in history. It is, at times, a very emotional watch.”
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
“Sunken Roads is an exploration of memory. Juergens’ mellifluous voice serves as escort as she not only describes the current and historic events but also analyzes her own ceremonial responses and familial connections.”
Electronic Press Kit
Includes Director’s Statements
& links to all media coverage
Screenings & Honors
Theatrical, Streaming & DVD Release
Nationwide Theatrical Release - Live & Virtual (November-December 2021)
Sunken Roads opened to live audiences at the Cinema Village Theater in NYC, the Laemmle Royal Theater in Los Angeles, and the Aperture Cinema in Winston-Salem, NC. The film released on ‘virtual cinema' via the Rafael Film Center (San Rafael, CA), Tallahassee Film Society (Tallahassee, FL), North Park Theatre (Buffalo, NY), DasFilm Fest (Corvallis, OR), Kiggins Theatre (Vancouver, WA), Bijou Theatre (Lincoln City, OR), Gold Coast Film Festival (Great Neck, NY), and Salem Cinema (Salem, OR).
Streaming, DVD & Blu-Ray Release (May-November 2022)
Sunken Roads is represented by the celebrated independent film distributor First Run Features. Following the film's theatrical release in Nov and Dec 2021, Sunken Roads was released on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vimeo on Demand and DVD in May, 2022, and on Blu-Ray in November 2022.
Kanopy Educational Release, October 2020
Sunken Roads released on the educational platform Kanopy.
Museum Events
National Museum of the U.S. Army (June 1, 2024)
To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the museum to presented a special screening of Sunken Roads and Q&A.
National Museum of the U.S. Army (April 30, 2024)
Director Charlotte Juergens moderated a panel featuring guest speakers from several museums and memorials. Panelists reflected on the upcoming 80th anniversary of the invasion and the challenges and possibilities of sharing D-Day’s story with new and younger audiences.
National Museum of the U.S. Army (November 2021-May 2022)
Partnered with the museum to present seven special screenings of Sunken Roads and four Q&As over Memorial Day Weekend. First documentary to ever screen at the museum.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (June 8 2019, December 19, 2021)
Invited to present Sunken Roads for the Museum's commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in 2019. Invited back in 2021, when the Museum screened Sunken Roads in honor of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
Cleveland Museum of Art, May 31-June 1, 2020
Two special screenings at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Postponed due to COVID-19.
National WWII Museum, June 4 - 5 2019
Sunken Roads screening and talkback as the opening event for the Museum’s weeklong commemorations honoring the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. The Museum also screened Sunken Roads aboard two cruise ships off the coast of Omaha Beach on June 5.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, June 6 2019
Presented Sunken Roads for an audience of 500 on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
Film Festivals
Coastline Children’s Film Festival, March 7, 2023
Sunken Roads chosen as an Official Festival Selection.
Normandie-World War II International Film Festival, June 5-7, 2020
Sunken Roads awarded the prize for Outstanding Feature Documentary.
Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, June 1-4, 2020
Sunken Roads chosen as an Official Festival Selection.
Visions du Réel Film Festival, April 24 - May 2, 2020
Sunken Roads selected for the Visions du Réel Media Library.
Gene Siskel Film Center, Jan 12 & 15, 2020
Sunken Roads selected as part of the Center’s 2020 “Stranger Than Fiction” series.
G.I. Film Festival, Sep 28 2019
Sunken Roads nominated for Best Feature Documentary.
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Aug 25 2019
Sunken Roads chosen as an Official Festival Selection.
Community & University Screenings
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (June 15, 2022)
Professor Susan Winnet assigned Sunken Roads for her BA/MA seminar on “Remembering World War II” in the University of Düsseldorf’s American Studies department. Director Charlotte Juergens participated in a virtual Q&A with students.
University of Michigan (September 27, 2022 & November 9, 2021)
Professor Kristin Hass assigned Sunken Roads for her seminar “Monuments Matter” in the University of Michigan’s American Studies department. Participated in two screenings of selected scenes and Q&As with students.
Yale Club of New York City (May 22, 2022)
Screening of Sunken Roads and Q&A in advance of the film’s DVD and streaming release.
Virtual Sneak Preview, June 4-June 21, 2020
Virtual sneak preview sponsored by the G.I. Film Festival, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, 29th Division Association, USS Midway Museum, World War II Foundation, Normandie-World War II International Film Festival, and the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival.
Florida State University, Memorial Day Weekend 2020
Invited by FSU's Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to present Sunken Roads at a new conference on WWII Memory. Deferred due to COVID-19.
U.S. 29th Infantry Division, September 2014
Director Charlotte Juergens offered honorary membership in the 29th Infantry Division in recognition of Sunken Roads: Three Generations After D-Day.
Promotional Videos & Interviews
Theatrical Trailer
Interview with Director Charlotte Juergens on MSNBC
Interview with Director Charlotte Juergens on WW2TV
Interview with Director Charlotte Juergens by film critic Jim Schembri
Kickstarter Sizzle
What Inspired This Film?
Our Crew
What Does “Sunken Roads” Mean?
Poster by Annelisa Leinbach
Contact Us
Whether you’d like to bring Sunken Roads to your community or have general questions about the film, we’d love to hear from you!