New Documentary HOMEMADE follows decorated veterans struggle with PTSD, TBI, drug addiction and subsequent recovery

Film Premieres in Select Cities Nationwide Veterans Day Weekend

WASHINGTON DC , UNITED STATES, October 22, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new documentary film being released Veteran’s Day weekend is likely to ignite renewed conversations about how best to care for our returning vets and their families.

HOMEMADE is the cinematic and profoundly intimate journey with decorated Force Reconnaissance Marine Adam Sorensen as he navigates civilian life and the effects of Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, and crippling addiction on his marriage, family, and work. Heart-wrenching, winding, on-going (the filmmakers following Adam and his family for six years, and the film took seven years total to complete) and unflinching, the film uncovers a conflict between the American ideals of success and personal well-being.

HOMEMADE will screen in select markets across America Veterans Day weekend, beginning in Portland Oregon Saturday, November 9th and wrapping up Tuesday, November 12th in Washington DC. Several screenings will be held in smaller heartland communities that have a large veteran population.

Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion and question and answer session featuring local veteran’s advocacy and support groups and addiction specialists. In select markets, Adam Sorensen, the highly decorated Marine veteran whose marriage, invisible wounds and struggles with PTSD, TBI, and addiction the film follows in gripping detail will appear, as will HOMEMADE documentary filmmakers Jason Maris and Danielle Bernstein.

“Ultimately, HOMEMADE is a story of survival and resilience unveiling the complexity and scope of these challenges as Adam and his family navigate life after combat,” said Bernstein. “Through the experiences of Adam, his wife Victoria, and their families, HOMEMADE examines the culture of treating symptoms instead of the root cause, and the disconnect between medical care and true wellness. We look at things like the continuity of care, the epidemic of over-prescription in both military and civilian care, and the stereotypes of injured combat veterans in an up-close and personal way that audiences have never seen before."

HOMEMADE’s filmmakers say they aim to close what they call “the empathy gap” between civilian and military communities, start productive dialogues about the challenge of transition from active duty military to retired, and to provide tools that help viewers take action.

Director Jason Maris was inspired to make this film after working for over 20 years as a freelance recruitment photographer for the United States Marine Corps advertising agency, JWT. Since his imagery has been in circulation, over 600,000 men and women have signed up to serve. “I feel a great responsibility to each and every Marine. After 9/11 I wanted to help those returning from combat and felt an increasing urgency to understand what was happening to families and how hidden wounds were playing out over time.”

There are an estimated 1.1 million military caregivers who are family members, friends, or acquaintances (Hidden Heroes) in the United States caring for post-9/11 veterans. They tend to be younger, caring for a younger individual with a mental health or substance use condition, employed, and not connected to a support network.

Studies show that at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression. The number climbs higher when combined with traumatic brain injury (TBI). 19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment.

HOMEMADE screened earlier this month at the Nashville Film Festival. Middle Tennessee State University, which sponsors the festival, oversaw a frank and often emotional panel discussion after the screening that included documentary subject, Adam Sorensen.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, the university’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives who served 38 years in the military moderated the discussion. Huber applauded the filmmakers on “an incredibly accurate documentary film that unflinchingly highlighted the challenges that combat veterans can face after multiple deployments, serious physical and mental injuries and a resulting disconnect from civilian life that can be extremely difficult to bridge”.

More coverage of the Nashville Film Festival screening event is available here: https://www.dnj.com/story/news/local/schools/mtsu/2019/10/12/nashville-film-festival-veterans-deployment-mtsu-charlie-hazel-daniels-center-ptsd-opioid-addiction/3957878002/


For a complete listing of HOMEMADE Veteran’s Day weekend screenings followed by panel discussions and Q&A’s and information on how to get tickets, go to https://www.homemadethefilm.com/find-a-screening


To speak with HOMEMADE filmmakers Jason Maris or Danielle Bernstein or HOMEMADE's documentary subject, U.S. Marine veteran Adam Sorenson, or to request event tickets or screener links, contact

Burke Allen
Allen Media Strategies
+1 703-589-8960
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Official movie trailer - HOMEMADE