Buried Above Ground

In summarizing his PTSD experience, war veteran and former U.S. Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan says in the documentary film, “A disproportionate amount of time is spent thinking about the past than your average person. That goes along very much with, what if the worst thing that ever happened to you, kept happening to you?” As I saw first-hand making this film, the impacts of PTSD are devastating. I am making this film because I want to contribute to a more compassionate public dialog around post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This is a feature-length documentary that interweaves the stories of individuals living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a potentially devastating anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a serious traumatic event such as rape, war combat, domestic assault, terrorism, gun violence, or natural disaster. It affects about 25 million Americans or up to 8% of the population. The film follows three of these Americans: Luis, a veteran returning from service in Iraq with a Purple Heart; Ashley, a native of New Orleans who survived Hurricane Katrina; and Erundina, a victim of child abuse, rape and domestic violence. By following multiple subjects with a range of traumas, the film aims to expand our society’s growing knowledge of PTSD in the public theaters of trauma, such as war, to include a better understanding of the more private theaters of trauma, such as child abuse, domestic violence, and rape.  In doing so, the film will take the realities of living with PTSD out of the shadows and allow audiences to experience the emotional, medical, and financial costs of this growing mental health epidemic. 

As a filmmaker, I have been dedicated to creating films about mental health issues since 2000, and even beyond. I first became interested in film after seeing my mother, a psychologist, being featured in the National Film Board of Canada documentary L’INTERDIT (1976), about an alternative commune for treating patients with schizophrenia. 

Previously, I made a film called A SUMMER IN THE CAGE about bipolar disorder–that premiered on Sundance Channel. It went on to win many mental health media awards, but the most profound experiences were the 200-person intimate screenings. Audience members courageously came forward to share their stories, ask advice, and begin to find community.

The film's themes will speak to a wide audience. To begin with, the film will speak to anyone living with PTSD.  I also think interest in the film will extend to anyone in the ever-widening circle of people affected by PTSD, including family members and friends of those with PTSD, as well as mental health experts and caregivers who have dedicated their lives to treating people with mental disorders. In addition, I believe the film’s verité style, sympathetic characters and dramatic arc will help promote interest in the film from a general viewing documentary public. In the end, I hope the film will promote awareness about the true nature of PTSD while inspiring a public discourse on what we, as individuals/communities and a government, need to do to help combat the stigmas and guilt associated with this destructive illness. 

This is a mental health film, a human rights film and a testimonial of courage that will be an inspiration and tool of awareness for the American public. At its heart, the film is an unflinching portrait of Americans trying to reclaim their everyday lives while being haunted by invisible psychological demons after very real and harrowing experiences. The film’s aim is to give voice to those disempowered by PTSD in hopes that their stories will promote awareness, understanding, and compassion so that our nation can begin to undo the prevailing forces of silence - guilt, shame and stigma - that engulf the brave Americans struggling to overcome this debilitating disorder.

This documentary film takes the stories of those living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) out of the shadows of stigma. The film hopes to create a united front for change in political, social and media communities using the personal story as polemic.