A little-known story of American military history takes center stage in Soul Patrol, a new documentary exploring the Vietnam War’s first all-Black special operations team and the men who risked their lives operating deep behind enemy lines.
Directed by J.M. Harper, the film brings together unprecedented access to the surviving veterans, using personal photographs, raw Super 8 footage, and audio recordings to reconstruct their experiences. The result is an intimate look at a remarkable brotherhood whose story has largely gone untold.
The documentary takes an unusual approach, opening with the veterans reuniting in a hotel on the war’s 50th anniversary. As memories surface, the gathering becomes a powerful reflection on friendship, survival, and the lasting effects of combat. It also confronts a difficult contradiction: fighting for freedom overseas while facing racial inequality back home.
Winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Soul Patrol has also earned a nomination for Best Historical Documentary at the 2026 Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
More than a traditional war documentary, Soul Patrol offers a personal reckoning with history, giving long-overdue attention to the men behind a remarkable chapter of American military service.
Release Dates: Soul Patrol opens November 6 at IFC Center in New York, followed by a November 13 expansion to Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles and theaters nationwide.
Director: J.M. Harper
Written by: J.M. Harper, based on the memoir by Ed Emanuel
Featuring: Ed Emanuel, Jesse Lewis Jr., Mark Miller, Kenn Miller, Thad Givens, Lawton Mackey, and John Willis
Awards & Recognition:
- Winner – Directing Award, U.S. Documentary, 2026 Sundance Film Festival
- Nominee – Best Historical Documentary, 2026 Critics Choice Documentary Awards
- Official Selection – Sundance, SFFILM Doc Stories, DOC NYC, True/False, Full Frame, and DC/DOX
