Frank Cavestani comes Center Stage to discuss his documentary OPERATION LAST PATROL

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Filmed in 1972, ‘Operation Last Patrol’ follows Ron Kovic and his fellow Vietnam veterans on their epic road-trip to the Republican National Convention in Florida. Released for the first-time on Home Entertainment, the documentary tracks the cross-country journey of members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) on their historic convoy from Los Angeles to Miami to challenge Richard Nixon and his policy in Vietnam. The film will be released for the first time by Cinema Libre Studio and will feature DVD extras that include an interview with the director Frank Cavestani, and an exclusive interview with Ron Kovic entitled ‘Thirty Years Later’ in which Kovic condemns the Vietnam war and illustrates the terrible parallels between that war and the current war in Iraq. Title streets November 22.

In 1972, the anti-war group Vietnam Veterans Against the War made an unprecedented cross-country trek to the Republican National Convention in Miami, where Richard Nixon was to be nominated for the second time as the Republican candidate, to protest America’s continuing involvement in the Vietnam War. Led by Ron Kovic, the disabled Vietnam veteran and author of ‘Born on the Fourth of July’, the group struggled with police harassment, challenging conditions, and an ongoing battle with memories of a debilitating war, to join with other VVAW members from across the country to express their disenchantment with the war and their government. “The Last Patrol was an extraordinary journey of great commitment, courage and integrity,” says Ron Kovic. “It reminds us all of a time when Americans stood up to their government and were not afraid to speak out against a war they knew was wrong.”

Cavestani’s film was used as research material for Oliver Stone’s Academy-Award ® film, ‘Born on the Fourth of July’. "A valuable companion piece to 'Born on the Fourth of July'. It's great to see and hear Ron Kovic in action as a leader. Frank Cavestani's film is a time capsule, full of spirit and conviction,” says Oliver Stone, writer/director of ‘Born on the Fourth of July’. “It's interesting and sad how much of what Ron and his fellow veterans are saying in the film could be said today."

The filmmakers followed the caravan as it traversed the country, speaking with veterans along the way about their experiences in Vietnam. They arrived to a huge gathering of fellow veterans and supporters in Miami, all converging on the convention, only to be met by police in riot gear and tear gas. The film shows confrontations with local citizens who were sometimes supportive, but more often calling them traitors and communists.

‘Operation Last Patrol’ depicts the era in which the peace movement was born; an era in which college students and veterans worked together to try and end a deadly war in Vietnam, where men, women and people of all races marched side-by-side in attempt to have their voices heard over the war machine. In an especially poignant moment, Ron Kovic is seen inside the convention, calling out to those around him to break through the wall of their complacency, only to be ignored.

Cinema Libre Studio, the independent distribution company known for distributing films such as ‘Uncovered: The War On Iraq’, ‘Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War On Journalism’, ‘WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception’, ‘McLibel’ and ‘The Future of Food’ has helped to foster and grow the audience for hard-hitting documentaries and feature films that reveal what’s really happening behind the curtain of corporate controlled media and Hollywood happy-endings.

The DVD special features include interviews with the director and Kovic. This film streets November 22 with an SRP of $24.95.