As anyone who has followed COVID-19 in Western Massachusetts knows, the tragedy at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was one of the worst aspects of the pandemic. More than 75 military veterans living there died in a case that has drawn widespread scrutiny and legal action.
A new short movie by regional musician and filmmaker Laura Wetzler dramatizes that harrowing period. Although not specifically about the Holyoke situation, “What Happened at the Veterans Home” measures the human toll of the coronavirus and how it was handled. The film will be screened at the Academy of Music in Northampton on Sunday. The screening is a benefit for We Soldier On and the National Association of Black Military Women. It will also be seen at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival April 16 and the Boston International Film Festival April 17.
Wetzler spoke with WAMC’s Ian Pickus.
