Documentary Chronicling Black Vietnam War Veterans to Make St. Louis Premiere at the 35th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival
Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam, the latest documentary from St. Louis filmmaker Joseph Puleo, will make its hometown premiere at the 35th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Black Americans fought two wars, one in Vietnam and one at home for civil rights. As disproportionate numbers of Black men were drafted and sent to the front lines, the racism they faced in the United States followed them overseas. Through firsthand testimony, Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam examines discrimination within the military and the lasting physical, emotional, and social consequences veterans faced after returning home.
Production on Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam began following a chance encounter at the Costco Tire Center in South County. While waiting for his car, Puleo struck up a conversation with Vietnam veteran Edward Drew that soon turned to Drew’s experiences as a Black serviceman during the Vietnam War. That unexpected meeting became the genesis of a documentary that ultimately grew to include the stories of veterans James “Protein” Williams, McKinley “Mac” Hubbard, John Scates, Clayvon Wesley, and Freddie Drayton, along with Gold Star family members Estella Shockley and John Shockley (himself a Vietnam veteran). The film also features interviews with scholars and historians, including Washington University’s Dr. Gerald Early and Saint Louis University’s Dr. Christopher Tinson.
In 2025, Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam was selected as one of six documentary projects nationwide for the Better Angels Lavine Fellowship, a companion program to the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The fellowship supports documentaries exploring historically underrepresented stories in American history through funding, mentorship, and guidance from leading members of the documentary film community.
The film made its world premiere at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. It has since continued its festival run across the country and will now return home for its St. Louis premiere at SLIFF.
“This film began here in St. Louis, which makes bringing it home especially meaningful,” said Puleo. “The veterans trusted us with some of the most difficult and personal experiences of their lives, and we’ve always felt an enormous responsibility to tell their stories with the honesty and respect they deserve. More than 50 years after returning from Vietnam, many without the recognition or welcome they deserved, they now have an opportunity to share those experiences with a wider audience. To have so many of the veterans and their families with us in the room for the St. Louis premiere is going to be incredibly special.”
Following the screening, a Q&A will feature veterans profiled in the film, Gold Star family member Estella Shockley, and director Joseph Puleo. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Christopher Tinson, professor of African American Studies at Saint Louis University.
BROTHERS IN BLOOD: BLACK IN VIETNAM
St. Louis Premiere
35th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival
Saturday, November 14, 2026 — 4:00 p.m.
Hi-Pointe Theatre
Joseph Puleo, Director/Producer
Joseph Puleo is an award-winning documentary filmmaker from St. Louis, Missouri. A graduate of Lindenwood University’s School of Film, Puleo’s documentaries include America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, A New Home, and Percy Green: Man of ACTION. A New Home won the Mid-America Emmy Award for Documentary – Cultural and was subsequently nominated for Outstanding Regional Documentary at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. His Nine PBS documentary, Percy Green: Man of ACTION, received two nominations for the upcoming 2026 Mid-America Emmy Awards: Documentary – Historical, with Puleo also nominated for Editor – Short Form or Long Form Content.
Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam is Puleo’s latest feature-length documentary.
Vis Brown, Producer
Vis Brown has performed as an actor professionally for over 20 years in network television (Crossing Jordan), independent films, and major motion pictures (The Lucky Ones, starring Tim Robbins). Most recently, Vis has expanded his reach in entertainment as an independent film producer, focusing on documentaries and narrative films.
