Focusing on several ex-soldiers Valerie Sullivan, Laly Castaneda, Roberta Cholak working to help other women who have left the military. While the film deals with the the physical change of no longer being in the military (where do I live now?), the film's primary focus is on the mental costs of serving. How do the women deal with all of the things that they have seen and done, the unfair attitude that choosing to have children or get married may have cost them a career or worst of all dealing with MST - military sexual trauma. Its a horrible statistic but 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted in the military.
Staggering in it's construction the film kind of creeps up on you. What I kind of thought was going to be a kind of by the numbers tale of women trying to come to terms with change became something much more. Credit director Brittany Huckabee who keeps the film focused on the women. Huckabee smartly lets us get to know the women little by little so as the revelations of their own trauma is revealed we react to them as if they are our friends. Its a masterful move that instantly brings the all of the problems being encountered by all women in the military that much closer to us. We ache and cry and cheer for these women because they are our friends. By the end of the film I was deeply moved
Great films should move you. I was moved. Greater films make you want to share them, please go see this film.
You will forgive my not telling you more about the film, but it is a combination of not quite having found the words to describe the film and also wanting you to experience the film on your own. I walked into the film completely unaware of what I was going to see and experience and you should have the same experience without my manipulating your feelings.
Go see this film.
For more information on the film and where vets can go for help check out www.afterfiredoc.com
The film screens again on Monday November 14th at 10:15am. For more information and tickets go here.
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