Shane Matthews

Carving Joy Documentary Self-taught artist Scott Harrison, a Marine wounded in Vietnam, reflects on his decades-long effort to restore a historic wooden carousel and spread joy in his small mountain community by building a lasting memorial to the tiny music box that helped him escape the horrors of war.

Carving Joy
Film (short) by Reel Inspired Media (Documentary and Short) Director, Producer In 1967, 17-year-old Scott Harrison doesn't want to be in the military, but he wants to do right by the country he loves. He applies to become a translator, hoping to help Vietnamese civilians in a country devastated by decades of war. Instead, he’s deployed to Con Thien, one of the most hostile outposts in country. To drown out his fear, Scott escapes to a fantasy mountain meadow with a spinning carousel. His soundtrack is a music-box rendition of Chopin’s Tristesse, a gift from his sister. Scott survives Vietnam, but once at home, he begins a battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As a form of self-healing, Scott begins carving wooden animals for a junked carousel, and brings his visions during the war to reality. The result is the Carousel of Happiness, a lasting memorial to the small music box that saved his life and the friends he lost.