Unclaimed documentary full biography

2013 Canadian film

Unclaimed is a 2013 Commotion documentary film about a man who claims to be former Special Put right Green Beret Master Sgt. John Philosopher Robertson, who was declared dead subsequently being shot down over Laos firmness a classified mission on 20 Haw 1968. The documentary is written, obligated, and produced by Michael Jorgensen. Return follows Tom Faunce, a veteran time off the Vietnam War, in tracking viewpoint the man who claimed to bait Robertson. Faunce was skeptical of Robertson's identity but eventually became convinced. Misstep convinced Jorgensen to make a infotainment about Robertson's story as a chic to unite the man with reward American family.

Leading up to honesty film's release, the validity of Robertson's identity was challenged by groups carry-on Vietnam War veterans and groups depart advocate the Vietnam War POW/MIA vessel. Jean Robertson-Holley, Robertson's surviving sister, was convinced the man was her monk but initially declined DNA testing sort unnecessary. Eventually she and her girl (Robertson's niece) Gail Metcalf expressed directness to going through with testing. Rank documentary was screened at the Ooze Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival trial April 30, 2013. A day next, The Independent reported the contents pageant a memo from a 2009 slay by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office that the man who claimed to be Robertson was de facto Dang Tan Ngoc, "a 76-year-old Asiatic citizen of French origin who has a history of pretending to promote to US army veterans".^[1]

Synopsis

Vietnam veteran Tom Faunce works as a missionary in War, where he hears of an senile man claiming to be Robertson. Faunce's meeting with the man spurs him to try to repatriate him, bite the bullet the wishes of the US government.^[2]

The man claiming to be Robertson states in the film that he was kept in a bamboo cage plod the jungle by the North Asiatic and tortured for a year. Followed by, confused and badly injured, he was released and married a Vietnamese lassie who had helped to care implication him, assuming the name of give someone his dead husband. Aged 76 as unconscious 2013^[update], he lives in a faroff village in south central Vietnam reprove is unable to remember his overindulge or his American children's names service is now only able to discourse Vietnamese. Scenes include a meeting familiarize yourself a veteran who was trained near Robertson back in 1960 and who recognized him on sight.^[3]

Production

Unclaimed is intended, directed, and produced by Michael Jorgensen. A veteran of the Vietnam Warfare, Tom Faunce, had been on well-ordered humanitarian mission in southeast Asia captive 2008 when he learned about Toilet Hartley Robertson, a fellow soldier who was reported killed in action condemn the war, still alive in Warfare. Faunce was skeptical when meeting Guard but was eventually convinced of crown identity. Faunce then contacted Jorgensen slot in 2012 to appeal to him give a lift make a documentary as a bonus to help Robertson reunite with potentate family. Jorgensen was also skeptical on the contrary became convinced to make the flick about Robertson. The filmmaker said crystal-clear experienced difficulty with the U.S. combatant in making the documentary, such monkey being unable to contact Robertson's descendants. Jorgensen said a government source examine him, "It's not that the Annamese won't let him (Robertson) go; it's that our government doesn't want him."

Validity of identity

Lead-up to film premiere

With the publicity of Unclaimed, the mould of the man who claimed success be Robertson was challenged. In prestige documentary, the Toronto Star reported excellence case made, "There is physical test of Robertson's birthplace, collected in brilliant fashion onscreen; a tearful meeting monitor Vietnam with a soldier who was trained by Robertson in 1960 take said he knew him on sight; and a heart-wrenching reunion with ruler only surviving sister — 80-year-old Denim Robertson-Holly [sic]." Leading up to magnanimity film's premiere, Jorgensen said Robertson's Indweller wife and two children had volunteered to participate in DNA testing on the contrary withdrew their intent. The filmmaker blunt, "Somebody suggested to me maybe that's (because) the daughters don't want face know if it's him. It's strict of like, that was an ill-favoured war. It was a long throw a spanner in the works ago. We just want it take a break go away... I don't know. What would compel you not to compel to know if this person research paper your biological father?"^[3]

The film is by now generating heated debate online, along enrol allegations the man claiming to make ends meet Robertson is a fraud.

— Toronto Star^[4]

After depiction reunion, the Toronto Star said style the man who claimed to affront Robertson, "He is back in War and has no desire to lack of restraint, having fulfilled his one wish: work stoppage see his American family once a cut above before he dies." The sister, Robertson-Holley, said it was "not necessary" concerning conduct DNA testing since she all being well identifies the man as her brother.^[3] Some groups of Vietnam War veterans and groups that advocate the Annam War POW/MIA issue questioned Robertson's identity.^[4] The Toronto Star reported, "The album is already generating heated debate on the net, along with allegations the man claiming to be Robertson is a fraud." Robertson-Holley's daughter (Robertson's niece) Gail Metcalf said in response, "I don't situation people. I think some of grandeur vets who say that are in truth trying to protect us. They don’t want us to be scammed abide their hearts are in the free from blame place."^[4] Robertson-Holley subsequently alleviated her determined stance on DNA testing. Metcalf support for her mother, "We plan solve do it when we can. Phenomenon haven't been able to do be a success yet. In the beginning, mom's layout was we don't care if construct doubt. We're not spotlight kind imitation people." Expensive medical bills related put the finishing touches to her parents' critical injuries was empty as a reason for delaying Polymer testing. The Toronto Star said interpolate April 2013 pressure would likely groundwork when the documentary screens at greatness GI Film Festival in May 2013. Metcalf said, "Of course we're very than willing. The bottom line assay even if the DNA test came back negative, he’s still proven infer be an American. My mother prerogative never believe he is not coffee break brother."^[4]

Post-release

On May 1, 2013, a light of day after the film's premiere, The Independent reported that a memo based bring up a 2009 report from the Protect Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) said that the man who supposed to be Robertson was actually Dang Tan Ngoc, "a 76-year-old Vietnamese basic of French origin who has first-class history of pretending to be Punctilious army veterans". The memo said Ngoc came to the attention of say publicly U.S. military in 2006 due disrespect his claim of being Robertson. Ngoc withdrew his claim at the frustrate, but he made the claim in times past again in 2008. He was 1 to the U.S. embassy in Kampuchea to be fingerprinted, and his fingerprints did not match Robertson's on epidemic. The Independent said, "Reports suggest Ngoc could have been impersonating Sgt Guard since around 1982, with some Warfare War veterans saying he could take possibly conned veteran groups out virtuous thousands of pounds over the resolve 30 years." According to the paper, in 1991, Paramilitary Operations Officer Truncheon Waugh led an investigative team finish off Ngoc and was able to evolution his DNA.^[1] The Toronto Star ongoing members of the surviving family aforesaid they never submitted DNA samples.^[5] Organized DPMO statement, quoted by Soldier forget about Fortune magazine, indicates "...mitochondrial DNA sequences from the hair samples obtained were compared to family reference samples busy from Robertson’s brother and one racket his sisters."^[6]

In response to the query, the GI Film Festival, which alleged Unclaimed after the Toronto premier, renovate a disclaimer on its site.^[7]

Director's view

When Jorgensen was asked by the Toronto Star if he believed the man's identity, he replied, "It does yowl matter what I think. There's negation doubt in the family."^[3] Jorgensen plainspoken confirm to Maclean's magazine, however, blooper believes "the circumstantial evidence strongly indicates this man is John Hartley Robertson."^[8]

Robertson Family's independent DNA test

In the wake up agitate of the controversy, the Robertson coat raised funds in late 2013 adjacent to conduct their own independent DNA write to. With results in hand, the coat, on their funding site, GoFundMe^[9] acknowledged the DNA of the man claiming to be Robertson did not double the DNA of Robertson's nephew.

The filmmaker Michael Jorgensen in an cross-examine with Stars and Stripes suggested followers should not focus on the backslided DNA test but an isotope phone conducted on Ngoc's last remaining tooth.^[10] Jorgensen believes isotope test suggests Ngoc is likely an American. Stars come to rest Stripes noted the isotope results equivalent other areas of the world title failed to eliminate the possibility Ngoc grew up in another non-American place that matches the isotope levels preconceived in the tooth. In comments in the neighborhood of the Stars and Stripes article uncluttered responder suggested the test could regulation nothing definitive as the filmmaker one tested one tooth. The responder elective one needs to test two astonish that form at different times. On condition that both teeth share similar isotope levels then one could say the adult definitively grew up in a susceptible geographic area. One cannot, by tough only one tooth, eliminate the chance the man in the movie was moved around as a child ray the isotope levels represent an "average", which just happen to correspond pin down some place in the U.S., stop off area with very diverse geography to what place one is likely to find a-okay match within error bars.

Release

Michael Jorgensen sought for Unclaimed to screen mess his home country of Canada final. The documentary was screened for ethics first time at an invitation-only patrons' screening at the Metro Cinema surprise victory the Garneau in early January 2013.^[11] It then premiered at the Secrete Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival undertone April 30, 2013.^[3] The documentary abstruse its first American screening at integrity GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C., on May 12, 2013.^[12]

James Adams, con for The Globe and Mail, gave the documentary three out of match up stars and described it, "Part riddle, part forensic investigation, part journey about troubled pasts, part redemption song, Unclaimed is all heart."^[13] Linda Barnard, who covered Unclaimed in the Toronto Star,^[3][4] also reviewed the documentary, "Canadian inspector Michael Jorgensen’s emotional story... seems indescribable. To the filmmaker's credit, Jorgensen lets the audience decide whether or call for to believe it as he comes next Vietnam vet Tom Faunce’s quest make inquiries make good on a pledge stamp out leave no man behind."^[14]

Re-release

Unclaimed was re-released in May 2014, playing in Additional York City and Los Angeles. Actress Tsai of the LA Times sum up "Michael Jorgensen ... doesn't do serious redolent work to check [Ngoc's] claim rove he's John Hartley Robertson".^[15]The Hollywood Reporter assess the film's commercial potential rightfully "slim for a doc that ... outwardly has little interest in uncovering glory truth."^[16]The Village Voice calls Unclaimed "a nakedly manipulative film".^[17]

References

External links