Veterans’ return to civilian life is the focus of the work of film director, Nicole Amelio-Casper. Her dedication to supporting the transition phase comes from seeing the need in her communities, in her work in news video reporting and editing as well as her role as a military spouse. In an interview with Military Success Network, she shared her current and upcoming film project. She began by expressing great gratitude for the support she has received for her award-winning film – “The Journey Back to Normal – A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD”. It is now available online and on her website. Links and details below
“The Journey Back to Normal” film documents therapies that can aid in the healing process in a holistic way and shows how community heroes step in and step up to help our warriors in their hour of need.
Rather than focusing on their PTSD and their trauma, the veterans share positive testimonies that speak to the effectiveness of these complementary therapies.
A short trailer for the film can be seen here: 1-minute view
“Our mission in this documentary is to show how both veterans of foreign wars and their families can truly have a new life – a second life after their years of service,” says Amelio-Casper.
The filmmakers feel it is their duty to serve those who served the citizens of their great country. They are clearly “dedicated to support and to empower veterans so they can live the life they deserve after they give so much – so selflessly,” as she says in any way she can get it across.
“We would like to raise funds to ensure the right people see this documentary. We emphasize that there is an educational component and a political outreach component to our work together.
In the Educational Component, we work to enlighten the military, veteran, and civilian community about complementary therapies specifically to combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This film shows how veterans with PTSD can truly live a full life after coming home from combat and transitioning from the military back into civilian life. We feel that screenings at university, in nursing, psychology, and medical schools are especially important.
The Political Outreach Component shows that in order to create awareness about this very important issue, we know we must take this beyond our own city to be sure this film educates politicians who ostensibly have the power to impact our veterans and our shared community future.
We feel that once they are enlightened about and acknowledge these untraditional therapies, they will change the course of veteran care to make it viable for healthcare to provide these therapies.”
More on Nicole Amelio-Casper and her upcoming project on behalf of veterans: Hidden Wounds
The award-winning documentarian of Journey Back to Normal has joined with S’Alfrico Watson Grant, award-winning cinematographer and in March 2021 they filmed a trailer for a new project on the veteran journey.
Filming of the trailer for the new documentary, “Hidden Wounds” took place in Columbia, South Carolina. It is in support of Mental Health Access for Veterans and Families
“Hidden Wounds,” tells the raw story of the “military experience” downrange. It covers the dynamic of life while deployed, the pivotal moments when servicemen and women return home, and ultimately how they navigate the rough terrain that challenges them in the community and most significantly, at home with their loved ones.
“We aim to make an impact – to inform and to shed light on this critical issue,” says Amelio-Casper. “The specter of suicide that follows our returning veterans has haunted us for decades. We all must rise to the occasion and to support our military when they return home. We need to strengthen their families and empower our veterans steadfastly, no matter what it takes, no matter what the cost. They all deserve to live free from the emotional wounds – the hidden wounds that can only be healed with pathways unique to each hero. We hope these documentaries will accomplish this,” says Nicole Amelio-Casper
► Watch the first, now completed documentary on-site here
WHAT’S NEXT? Look for updates from Nicole Amelio-Casper and S’Alfrico Watson-Grant on their joint production of “Hidden Wounds”. It will be a full-feature documentary taking a deeper in-depth look at the “raw” story of our American heroes, those who are on the front lines of war, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They plan to “talk to loved ones left behind, and Veteran warriors who NOW lead the effort in every corner of the country. Coming to our attention will be the unsung heroes who are ‘in the weeds’ empowering those very warriors who fought for every freedom we hold dear and sometimes take for granted” Stay tuned for updates on MilSuccessNet.
The team has shared this news about donation information for those interested and able:
Amelio-Casper says: “We partnered with the Filmmakers Collaborative, a 501C3 non-profit organization! They assist filmmakers who create films to incite change in communities across the country and are part of the network for good! You can now give a tax-deductible donation to support our Mission!”
Thank you dear reader for visiting MilSuccessNet.
Our working team and our families hope that you continue to take measures to be healthy, safe, and secure in the face of the pandemic, so that we can all benefit from a better ‘new normal’ that is being revealed in our communities, for all of us.
Speak Your Mind