Frank Maselskis: From WWII POW to Chosin Reservoir Survivor
From Hell Ship to the Chosin River, one Marine made Semper Fidelis more than a motto; it was a personal code.
PG 2020 · 11 min · Documentary, War
Despite his horrible experience as a prisoner of war during WWII, Frank Maselskis stays in the military and goes on to fight in Korea, where he participates in the brutal battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Upon returning home, Frank struggles to live a normal life while raising his daughters.
Directed by Andrés Gallegos · Written by Daniel L. Bernardi
Your Rating
Cast
- T Trevor Getz Trevor Getz
- J Jessica Elkind Jessica Elkind
- R Rex A. Kern Rex A. Kern
Make it a double feature
3h 26m togetherA close match in mood and era.
More from Andrés GallegosSee all →
Objector · 2019Objector
★ 8.52019
MovieDocumentary
Like all Israeli youth, Atalya is obligated to become a soldier. Unlike most, she questions the practices of her country's military, and becomes determined to challenge this rite of passage. Despite her family's political disagreements and personal concerns, she refuses military duty and is imprisoned for her dissent. Her courage moves those around her to reconsider their own moral positions and personal power. OBJECTOR follows Atalya to prison and beyond, offering a unique window into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of a young woman who seeks truth and takes a stand for justice.
Dawson Isla 10 · 2009Dawson Isla 10
★ 5.72009
MovieDrama
After the 1973 coup that deposed Allende and brought Pinochet to power in Chile, the former members of his cabinet are imprisoned on Dawson Island, the world's southernmost concentration camp. Here these men are determined to survive and provide history with their testimony.
Marcelo, la mafia y la estafa · 2012Marcelo, la mafia y la estafa
★ 2.02012
MovieComedyCrime
Despite disowning his Italian past, Marcelo surprisingly inherits all the debts of his late mafioso “nonno”. Now he must learn from the family business to pay all the money he owes to the Korean and Turkish mafia.
PFC Benjamin Tollefson: A Mom's Loss · 2017PFC Benjamin Tollefson: A Mom's Loss
2017
MovieWarDocumentary
PFC Benjamin Tollefson was killed in action during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. His mother tells the story he never got a chance to share.
Owl · 2024Owl
2024
MovieDrama
A young woman returns to her hometown to help her sick father, only to discover it is not just his health that is precarious — his medical bills mount while he remains unable to work at his locksmith business. She takes over his business but still struggles — then a dubious opportunity presents itself.
Mejor estar solo · 2014Mejor estar solo
2014
MovieComedy
Hugo is a young man who has been left at the altar, in what was to be a three-day celebration arranged by his manipulative mother-in-law. In addition to keeping up with his overprotective father demands and crossing paths with an ex-girlfriend, he soon realizes that it is better to be alone.
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime · 2018Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime
2018
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.
Who is Weary Willie? · 2021Who is Weary Willie?
2021
MovieWarDocumentary
"Who is Weary Willie?" explores the life of the once-famous circus character Weary Willie and his story tied to controversy and confusion over identity between his creator, Emmett Kelly Sr., and his son, Emmett Kelly Jr.
Racing for Paralympic GoldRacing for Paralympic Gold
MovieDocumentary
"Racing for Paralympic Gold" is an intimate and inspiring portrait of three unstoppable women on the road to Paralympic greatness, each redefining what strength truly means. Gabrielle “Gabby” Platt, a single mother who survived being shot three times, rides to inspire her young son with every push of the pedal. Ryen Reed, born with cerebral palsy, defies medical expectations as she pushes her body beyond its limits in pursuit of a place at the LA 2028 Paralympic Games. Oksana Masters, born in Ukraine with birth defects linked to the Chernobyl disaster, transforms profound hardship into triumph as a multiple time Paralympic gold medalist. Guiding them is Carlos Moleda, a Brazilian born former Navy SEAL who turned his own catastrophic injury into purpose by becoming a champion of adaptive athletics. Together, they train with relentless intensity, pushing past pain, trauma, and stigma - not just to win medals, but to redefine what resilience looks like.
Blind Determination: An Athlete's JourneyBlind Determination: An Athlete's Journey
MovieDocumentary
Born totally blind, Christella Garcia fights heavyweight judo by feel—reading opponents through grip, breath, and tremor. Raised wrestling cousins in New Mexico, she found “freedom” on the mat; now in Sacramento she travels to Denver to sharpen under Paralympic legend Scott Moore with coach Heidi Moore (Pan Am bronze) and absorb grip craft from Olympic medalist Edward Liddie. The grind is nonstop. An ACL tear and kneecap arthritis force a brace and a training pivot: swims she hates but guts out with her partner Joe, strength with coach Miguel Sandoval, hard rounds at Team Sacramento Judo, and endless travel that never quite replicates her long-levered, top-ranked rival. In Para judo’s J1 class—where every bout starts in the grip—Christella bends matches by touch, tempo, and pace. Paris tests everything. She blasts a first-round win, hits the world No. 1, resets fast, and fights through four brutal minutes for bronze. Home brings tears, surgery talk—and a new target: Los Angeles 2028.
Jackie Speier: Sexual Assault in the Military · 2016Jackie Speier: Sexual Assault in the Military
2016
MovieWarDocumentary
Congresswoman Jackie Speier explains her approach to protecting victims of sexual assault within the military. Her goal is to take prosecuting powers out of the inner ranks and put it into the hands of properly trained detectives.
Noble Sissle Jr.: Am I Still Going to Vietnam? · 2018Noble Sissle Jr.: Am I Still Going to Vietnam?
2018
MovieWarDocumentary
The story of Noble Sissle Jr., a production company owner, community development expert, and veteran of the Vietnam War. Combining archival footage with interviews and family portraits, the film explores Sissle Jr.’s life, and the way he carries on the legacy of his father, Noble Sissle – the famous WWI Harlem Hell Fighter and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Includes original music and footage of Noble Sissle.
The Chaplain: MAJ Brenda Threatt · 2023The Chaplain: MAJ Brenda Threatt
2023
MovieDocumentary
In a profound exploration of faith, service, and identity, this documentary film follows Brenda Elizabeth Threat, an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a military chaplain in the California State Guard. Born in Los Angeles, Threat's story is a captivating tapestry of her spiritual journey, her tireless advocacy for veterans, her innovative response to 9/11, and her reflections on race and personal integrity. Her life is a testament to the power of perseverance, love, and community. Guided by a commitment to education and a mission to help others be the best they can be, her story is a soul-stirring reminder that each of us has the potential to make the world a better place, one good deed at a time.
Foghorn: Child Actor, Veteran, Friend · 2021Foghorn: Child Actor, Veteran, Friend
2021
MovieWarDocumentary
Over the serene and verdant landscape of Northern California, a man with an everlasting childlike spirit lived his last years in a cabin. A story of friendship and loneliness, George Carl Wenzlaff was a Navy veteran and postal service worker with unique artistic talents and an amazing past.
Major Raoul Lufbery: Fighter Ace · 2018Major Raoul Lufbery: Fighter Ace
2018
MovieDocumentaryWar
The story of WWI Pilot Gervais Raoul Lufbery, a triple confirmed WWI ace, mechanic and world traveler. Explores the Lafayette Escadrille squadron, a formation of volunteer pilots serving in France on behalf of the United States whose service marked the early origins of the U.S. Air Force.
Alene B. Duerk: The First Woman Admiral · 2020Alene B. Duerk: The First Woman Admiral
2020
MovieWarDocumentary
Following the tradition of military service in her family, Alene Duerk enlisted as a Navy nurse in 1943. During her eventful 32 year career, she served in WWII on a hospital ship in the Sea of Japan, and trained others in the Korean War. She became the Director of the Navy Nursing Corps during the Vietnam War before finally attaining the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy. Despite having no other women as mentors (or peers), Admiral Duerk always looked for challenging opportunities that women had not previously held. Her consistently high level of performance led to her ultimate rise to become the first woman Admiral.
More Like This
Days of Glory · 2006Days of Glory
★ 6.72006
MovieDramaHistory
1943. They have never stepped foot on French soil but because France was at war, Said, Abdelkader, Messaoud and Yassir enlist in the French Army, along with 130,000 other “indigenous” soldiers, to liberate the “fatherland” from the Nazi enemy. Heroes that history has forgotten...
Stalag 17 · 1953Stalag 17
★ 7.71953
MovieComedyDrama
After two American prisoners are killed by guards in the act of escaping from a German POW camp in World War II, barracks black marketeer J.J. Sefton is suspected of being an informer.
Grand Illusion · 1937Grand Illusion
★ 7.91937
MovieDramaHistory
A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.
Closely Watched Trains · 1966Closely Watched Trains
★ 7.21966
MovieComedyDrama
At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia, a bumbling dispatcher’s apprentice longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him, this young man embarks on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, encountering a universe of frustration, eroticism, and adventure within his sleepy backwater depot.
The English Patient · 1996The English Patient
★ 7.11996
MovieDramaRomance
In the 1930s, Count Almásy is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert along with several other prominent explorers. As World War II unfolds, Almásy enters into a world of love, betrayal, and politics.
Schindler's List · 1993Schindler's List
★ 8.61993
MovieDramaHistory
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
The Tin Drum · 1979The Tin Drum
★ 7.01979
MovieDramaHistory
In 1924, Oskar Matzerath is born in the Free City of Danzig. At age three, he falls down a flight of stairs and stops growing. In 1939, World War II breaks out.
Pearl Harbor · 2001Pearl Harbor
★ 6.92001
MovieWarHistory
The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
M*A*S*H · 1970M*A*S*H
★ 6.91970
MovieComedyDrama
One of the world's most acclaimed comedies, M*A*S*H focuses on three Korean War Army surgeons brilliantly brought to life by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould. Though highly skilled and deeply dedicated, they adopt a hilarious, lunatic lifestyle as an antidote to the tragedies of their Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and in the process infuriate Army bureaucrats. Robert Duvall, Gary Burghoff and Sally Kellerman co-star as a sanctimonious Major, an other-worldly Corporal, and a self-righteous yet lusty nurse.
Night and Fog · 1956Night and Fog
★ 8.31956
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.
