67 Bombs to Enid: War brings Marshallese to Oklahoma

We welcomed our Vietnamese neighbors after war, and opened our arms to Korean refugees after another. Oklahoma became known for bringing and welcoming immigrants and refugees from all around the world. One of those communities affected by war, were the people of the Marshall Islands.

67 Bombs to Enid, produced by Errol Morris and Co-directed by Kevin Ford and Ty McMahan, tells the story of the Marshallese, and their new home in the faraway land of Enid, Oklahoma.

The documentary portrays the Marshallese as a proud people, with so much color and history, which is quickly overshadowed by the history of American nuclear testing in the 50s'.

This mass migration continues to this day due to due to how inhabitable their islands became. This is where the film begins its story before going into enchanting details of Marshallese culture and how Enid has changed because of their presence.

67 Bombs to Enid never forgets the ramifications of how people and children even today are being affected by war, or at least the preparation for war in this case. The characters, as isolated and diverse as they are, share their views and cultural perspective in satisfying detail. The journeys that come with the documentary characters, make for an engaging and eye-opening experience.

The film opens with a group of teenagers cooking and messing around in a backyard cookout. As they play with a ukulele and share stories, a hard-cut reminds us of the dreadful backdrop that encapsulates this story. The strong editing and harrowing context sets the documentary off to a strong start.

As a fully independent project, the documentary looks to make it's streaming debut sometime in the near future, and if you get a chance to see it, make sure and head to the First Americans Museum for it's 1 p.m. screening Sunday, June 15 for deadCenter Film Fest.

More details on the official deadCenter Film Festival website.