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HANCOCK -- It's a coming of age story, and for most people, it doesn’t get documented.  But a new film premiering at the Calumet Theatre shows the lives of local soldiers and their journeys.

It started as a documentary of small-town USA.

"I thought it would be interesting to sort of follow a group of friends at that age when they're sort of figuring out what to do next in their lives," said Director/Producer Heather Courtney.

And that's all it was for nearly two years, until these National Guard soldiers from Hancock got deployed to Afghanistan.
    
For the next four years, Heather would follow their every move--their lives, their dreams, and their emotions, all pieced together in a time of war.

"Heather did a good job...actually a beautiful job of portraying all of us the way we are,” said Dominic Fredianelli.  "She also portrayed us the way we became; it’s almost like we were a few different people throughout the movie."

The film brings to light the realities of war, the bond of friendships, the families united, and the aftermath of a war zone.
    
"It’s war from both sides,” said Cole Smith.  "It's the only thing I’ve ever seen that shows how people from small towns being deployed affects their families and friends back home while they’re gone."

As for Heather, the journey was also a change of her own.
    
"I really became connected again to the place where I’m from, and it made me appreciate the place where I grew up much more than I had before, and a lot of that had to do with these guys and their families that I grew to know," Courtney said.

Where Soldiers Come From premieres at the Calumet Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Shows will run every night through Sept. 30 before the film opens in theaters nationwide.

For more information, visit www.wheresoldierscomefrom.com or www.calumettheatre.com.