Much Anticipated World War II Documentary to Premiere in Four Towns - Waterbury, CT; Sacramento, CA; Mobile, Alabama; Luverne, MN...Local Veterans and Individuals Featured in the film to participate inactivities, including parades, forums and screenings....Towns join NationalCampaign to collect World War II Oral Histories...THE WAR Premieres September 23 on PBS

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- THE WAR, a new documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on the Second World War debuting September 23 on PBS, will have world premiere screenings in the four American towns that are a main focus of the film: Sacramento, CA; Waterbury, CT; Mobile AL; and Luverne, MN. Mr. Burns will attend all the screenings, along with the citizens of each town who are interviewed in the epic, 15-hour series. The screenings will take place on:

- September 6 -- Luverne, Minnesota -- Palace Theater, 8 pm

 -- September 8 -- Mobile, Alabama -- The Mitchell Center, 8 pm

-- September 10 -- Waterbury, Connecticut -- The Palace Theater, 7 pm

-- September 13 -- Sacramento, CA -- The Crest Theater, 7 pm
 

Six years in the making, THE WAR focuses on the stories of citizens from these communities who take the viewer through their own personal and harrowing journeys into war.

Their stories paint a vivid portrait of how the war dramatically altered their lives and those of their neighbors, as well as the country they helped to save for generations to come.
 

Highlights from the series will be shown at each screening, followed by Q&A sessions with Mr. Burns. It will be the first times many of those interviewed in the film and their family members have seen themselves on screen. Elected officials, veterans and VIPs from the communities will also attend the events.
 

PBS will air THE WAR, a seven-part, 15-hour series, over two weeks beginning Sunday, September 23, 2007, (four nights the first week and then three nights the second week), 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET (8:00-10:30 p.m. ET on three nights) on PBS.
 

Bank of America is sponsoring the event in Sacramento, and Anheuser Busch is sponsoring the events in Luverne, MN and Mobile, AL; both are also national sponsors of THE WAR.