Fallujah, the Opera.
My experience with Vets in Sun Valley, Idaho not only planted seeds for Dog Bless You, but it gave birth to the Emmy Award winning Opera, Fallujah.
Fallujah, the Opera, is the first ever Opera that tells the story of a Marine’s return home from Iraq and coping with PTSD. Marine, Christian Ellis, is placed on suicide watch, as his mother waits outside trying to see her adopted son.
Fallujah has played in Los Angeles and New York and was aired live on KCET. The airing won a 2017 Emmy.
The story emerged while filming the documentary, Fish Out of Water. I was talking to Marine Christian Ellis when I asked him what was his dream was before the war. He reluctantly told me that he wanted to do an Opera.
I don’t know how but I got this crazy idea….let’s do an opera on the War in Iraq and your story. Let’s use the Opera as an art form to help heal Vets and to have art done by Vets.
No one believed it would come true but we persevered. It was developed in Vancouver and then moved to the Long Beach Opera.
I don’t know much about the Opera. My dream was simply to see this young Vet see his vision and through the process use this art as a form of healing.
That said, allow me to share with you, Fallujah the Opera.
God Bless America and to all who serve.
Charlie
Founder of Explore and Dog Bless You
