Artist Enid Baxter Ryce has been documenting the lands and the ruins of the historic Fort Ord decommissioned military base where, for over a decade, she has lived and worked. A Land for War (alandforwar.com) weaves together hundreds of long-hidden murals painted by former soldiers stationed at the base, archival training footage from the Vietnam War era (when Fort Ord was active), wind-swept landscapes from one of the last stretches of California coastal wilderness, and portraits of homeless veterans occupying the land today. This nearly silent and hauntingly poetic documentary portrays the impact of the military on the land and the people. Original musical score by Lanier Sammons.
A Land for War premiered at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. with an accompanying exhibition at the Library of Congress in March, 2017.
A companion book, Field Guide to Planet Ord is available for purchase on Amazon.