Award-Winning Documentary on SUNY Cobleskill Students Adventure to Screen Aug 20

COBLESKILL – The Cobleskill Gathering Place will host a screening of the award-winning documentary "The Duck Diaries" on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m.

The film chronicles the remarkable journey of a group of students who, in 1960, embarked on an international goodwill mission that predated the Peace Corps. The idea, hatched at SUNY Cobleskill, saw the young men from Ticonderoga, Gloversville, and New Jersey travel through Central and South America in a military amphibious duck to meet fellow students.

Before their trip, the students conducted extensive research, wrote letters seeking support, and found a surplus vehicle for their journey, which was eventually featured on NBC in 1961. Their adventure was filled with challenges, including difficult border crossings, hostile students, vehicle breakdowns, and a three-day period of being marooned on a deserted island with nearly no money or means of communication.

The documentary, which has won awards at the NYC Independent Film Festival and the Arizona International Film Festival, tells the story of their journey and their quest to build friendships across the Americas during the Cold War.

The screening will be held at the Cobleskill Gathering Place, located at 127 Kenyon Road.