From Our Audiences

To say, as a Soldier, I was emotional, is a complete understatement. I have never seen such a compelling documentary that hit me in the gut and in the heart. It is an incredible American story!
-- ​Ed Lundeen, Lexington, South Carolina
​   Master Sergeant Retired, United States Army, Lexington County Veterans’ Service Officer

I can’t name another time when 4 generations of people sat in the same room for 90 minutes, transfixed on a film.
​-- Joel and Jean Miller Wernersville, Pennsylvania

The film was heart rendering... A must see.
​-- Clarence, Sheridan, WY Screening

This is a very personal and riveting movie that is a “must see” opportunity all Americans should view!
​-- Susan Kruse, Metz, France Screening

It brought tears to my eyes.
​-- ​​Derek, Ansbach, Germany

Haunting, just can’t stop turning it over in one’s mind; in the way that truly classic films stay with a person. 
-- Lloyd, Jackson Hole, WY Screening, son of a WWII Veteran

It’s an amazing story. Take your friends.
-- Kim, Rock Springs, WY 

Dear Sirs is beautifully done.
​-- Lillian, North Little Rock, Arkansas

A timeless film.
​-- Emergency War Surgeon, Jackson Hole, WY Screening

Such an inspiring story.
--The America Center, Hamburg

After seeing the documentary, Silvio’s story made a major impact on me, made some of my Vietnam experiences easier to accept now and has helped to heal me mentally from the Vietnam war. Thank you Silvio Pedri for your service and all you have done and thanks Mark for sharing his story so others might benefit from the trials and tribulations that your Grandfather had.
--Sgt Richard Reiter, 218th MP Co Nha Trang Vietnam, April 68-April 69

Watch the Trailer

Partnership Opportunities

Since its recent completion, Dear Sirs has been invited to screen at film festivals, museums, conferences, universities, high schools, cultural centers, and US military bases across the country and around the world. As a testament to the power of the story told in Dear Sirs, the US Embassy in Berlin and Paris have both sponsored screening tours of the film, and most recently, Dear Sirs was featured as the opening film for the GI Film Festival in San Diego and was awarded the prize for Best Documentary Feature.
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• US National Public Television Broadcast Impactful brand messaging for the film's 3-year broadcast + streaming
• Corporate Screening Events for your employees, clients, or members 
• Live Community Screening Events in the US and Europe
• Virtual Screening Events with filmmaker Q&As and panel discussions
• Conference Screenings and keynote presentations
• Educational and Institutional screenings for museums, schools, hospitals and libraries

It's the most complete collection of an Italian American GI I have ever seen. 
​-- Dr. Matteo Pretelli, Fulbright Alumnus and Professor of Italian Studies, Naples University

It's the most complete collection of an Italian American GI I have ever seen. 
​-- Dr. Matteo Pretelli, Fulbright Alumnus and Professor of Italian Studies, Naples University

Wyoming PBS is very fortunate to be a part of the Dear Sirs screening tour in Wyoming. It's hard to explain the intensity of emotions and engagement from audience members. This story is powerful and it connects with Wyoming audiences through a passion for not just storytelling but pride, grit, bravery and most importantly, family.
-- Joanna Kail, Wyoming PBS Executive Director

'Dear Sirs' is a powerful, visceral experience. We’ve partnered with the filmmaking team in screenings across our state, and in each location it reaches an audience that both wants and needs to hear this story, one so deeply personal and wholly universal at the same time.
-- Shawn Reese, Wyoming Humanities’ Executive Director

AARP Wyoming loves that this film acts as a catalyst, bringing generations together to examine the difficult topic of war. It preserves the past, is a cautionary tale for the future, and is…ultimately…a true love story. The filmmaker’s passion and dedication to service shine through each and every frame. We cannot recommend this film highly enough. 
-- AARP Wyoming

'Dear Sirs' was one of our absolute program highlights in 2022. The film and Q&A with Mark and Carrie left a lasting impression on the numerous moviegoers, who continued to send us their thanks for this cinematic experience for days and weeks after the screening. 
-- Atlantic Academy, Rhineland-Pfalz

About the Film

Despite working with him for years, filmmaker Mark Pedri never learned the details of his grandfather’s experiences as a Prisoner of War in WWII. Ten years after Sgt Silvio’s death, Mark found an incredible archive of photos and letters which inspired him to bike over 800km across Europe to retrace his grandfather’s harrowing journey and better understand the man who raised him.

Originally created to save just one story, Dear Sirs has shown its ability to inspire audiences to share and preserve the stories closest to them. We have seen the power of this film to awaken empathy, compassion, and trust through the sharing of deeply personal wartime experiences. Dear Sirs has proven to be a catalyst to bring family, friends, and communities together to connect with the veterans closest to them which, in turn, helps bridge the gap between civilians and veterans.

There are lots of WWII stories and lots of grandchild-grandparent stories. And yet “Dear Sirs” really gets into new spaces about the ravage of war and its memory, and about the families affected and how they try to make sense of their past and their present.
-- Ritesh Mehta, Festival Programmer 

There are lots of WWII stories and lots of grandchild-grandparent stories. And yet “Dear Sirs” really gets into new spaces about the ravage of war and its memory, and about the families affected and how they try to make sense of their past and their present.
-- Ritesh Mehta, Festival Programmer 

About the Filmmkers

Mark Pedri (director) formerly of Sundance Institute and Dr. Carrie McCarthy (producer) formerly of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles have been making documentary films together for more than ten years. Focusing on stories from off the beaten path, their films have screened at festivals worldwide, on national PBS, on major streaming platforms, and in international screening tours.

As the largest War time Veterans service organization, it is our duty to help ensure that the stories of our predecessors are told to as many  people as possible. “To preserve the memories and incidents in all wars”. That's what we are doing when we supported the airing of this film. 
-- Mike Cooke, Wyoming American Legion State Commander 2020

Dear Sirs--Wow, what a film! It was hard; it was fun; it was profound. I can't get it out of my head, in a good way! ​SGT Silvio Pedri is my hero!
​COL (R) Tim Sheppard, Executive Director, Wyoming Veterans Commission

A 'must-see,' to understand the generational impact of the trauma of war and the importance of knowing and preserving these stories.
​-- Major General Jim Archer, 95th Infantry Division

World Screening Tour

Fort Sill, OK
​​San Francisco, CA
Kansas City, MO
Hamburg, Germany
​Santa Fe, NM
Nice, France
Cody, WY
Ansbach, Germany
​Stuttgart, Germany
​Sheridan, WY
Annapolis, MD
​Pinedale, WY
​Richmond, VA
​Redwood City, CA

Metz, France
New York, NY​
San Diego, CA
Cheyenne, WY
Paris, France
Bremervörde, Germany
Greifswald, Germany
Florence, Italy
Gillette, WY
​Aachen, Germany
Rootstech Conference Mainstage
Creutzwald, France
York, United Kingdom

Los Angeles, CA
​Metz, France
Lincoln, NE​
​Branson, MO
​Kaiserslautern, Germany
Napa Valley Film Festival
​Casper, WY
Warsaw, Poland
Jackson Hole, WY
Green River, WY
San Jose, CA
Dubois, WY
​Rock Springs, WY​

With its gripping narrative and strong images, 'Dear Sirs' prompted very personal conversations among viewers about the silence they have encountered in their own families, both American and German, when it comes to WWII.
-- Viktoria Harbecke, Director AmerikaHaus NRW e.v.

We highly enjoyed meeting Mark and Carrie and being able to host a very special screening of "Dear Sirs" in Stuttgart, Germany... The film can highly be recommended as an important resource of cultural and historical mediation.
-- German-American Center Stuttgart, Germany

Dear Sirs is a film that must be shared with all generations. The story of Silvio J. Pedri makes us understand the magnitude of his and his generation's effort during World War II. Filmmakers Mark and Carrie lovingly and accurately portrayed the history of Silvio, a POW, while at the same time, fully engaging the audience. Well done, is far too little to say about this remarkable film. 
-- Val Burgess, WWII POW Historian, Archivist, Educator and Speaker

Dear Sirs is a film that must be shared with all generations. The story of Silvio J. Pedri makes us understand the magnitude of his and his generation's effort during World War II. Filmmakers Mark and Carrie lovingly and accurately portrayed the history of Silvio, a POW, while at the same time, fully engaging the audience. Well done, is far too little to say about this remarkable film. 
-- Val Burgess, WWII POW Historian, Archivist, Educator and Speaker

Contact

Carrie McCarthy, Producer
e. carrie@burningtorchproductions.com