Gonna Be a Soldier

Six-year-old Joey wants to be a doctor when he grows up, but his parents explain that he has to be a soldier instead, and kill people. When Joey protests this dark future, they explain that we only kill people in other countries, and only the ones wearing uniforms. "What if they take the uniforms off?" Joey asks. Confused as to why he should grow up to kill people, Joey keeps asking more questions, as his parents doggedly explain the "logic" of war. When his father admits that it's very sad that so many innocent civilians also get killed, Joey asks, "So, it's *not* okay?" But his mother cheerily explains, "Of course it's okay--as long as we're *trying* to kill the ones with the uniforms. Will Joey's innocence prevail? Or will his parents' indoctrination finally wear him down?

  • Jonny Lewis
    Director
  • Jonny Lewis
    Writer
  • Kevin Huie
    Producer
  • Kobe Humphries
    Key Cast
  • Luba Chan
    Key Cast
  • Mike Bash
    Key Cast
  • Tony Woo Joun
    Director of Photography
  • Greg Jones
    Sound
  • Bobby Fever
    Grip
  • Neil Wagner
    PA
  • David Raiklen
    Composer
  • Ryan Kaplan
    Editor
  • Frederick Bourbon
    Assistant Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Chandler International Film Festival
    United States
    September 28, 2016
    Arizona Premiere
    Best Actor Under 18
Director Biography - Jonny Lewis

Jonny Lewis started acting in 2001, at age 45. He starred in three stage plays in New York, and won an award for the first short film he ever acted in, before moving to Los Angeles in 2003, where he acted in 150 student and independent films. In 2009 he wrote and shot his first short film. Since then he has shot 21 more (including some in Spanish), and written about a hundred. He has completed one feature film (a “spiritual comedy”) and is working on others. Jonny’s current project consists of a series of 8 antiwar comedy shorts.

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Director Statement

War is simply average people trying to kill each other because someone "higher up" told them to do so. Seems kind of crazy to me. Yet we accept it as natural and right. I don't. So I've written several short comedies highlighting the many ways in which war is pointless. Let's have a good laugh, and then think again.