The story of the longest-held prisoner of war in Atlanta Opera's film adaptation 'My Darling Jim'

Col. Jim Thompson was America’s longest-held prisoner of war. An Army Special Forces captain, Thompson was captured in March of 1964 when the small plane he was riding in was shot down over Vietnam. He was held prisoner for the next nine years and released in March of 1973. Thompson’s story, including the troubled life he led upon returning to the U.S., is told in Tom Phillpott’s book, “Glory Denied,” adapted into an opera created by Tom Cipullo.

The Atlanta Opera had planned to perform “Glory Denied” in the spring of 2020, but the pandemic hit, quarantine followed and the company decided to create a full recording and film, which were released this past Veteran’s Day. “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes was joined via Zoom by the Atlanta Opera’s artistic director Tomer Zvulun and filmmaker Felipe Barral, who co-directed the film adaptation, “My Darling Jim.”

The aftermath of Jim Thompson’s harrowing ordeal in captivity: