By Barbara Smith
Bridging the gap between military and civilian communities is a vital goal of the GI Film Festival, and this year’s 6-day festival, organized by KPBS in partnership with San Diego’s Film Consortium furthered its mission featuring stories of sacrifice, courage, trauma and healing. With screenings held at Balboa Park’s Museum of Photographic Arts, films included documentaries, shorts, narratives, and feature-length films.
The festival featured locally connected filmmakers and veterans, two of which highlighted San Diego women in uniform. “Time for Change: The Kathy Bruyere Story,” chronicled Bruyere’s inspiring journey championing equal rights for women to serve on-board ship and in combat. “Ultimate Sacrifices: CPT Jennifer Moreno,” voted the Best Local Documentary, was a moving portrait of San Diego High School graduate Jennifer Moreno, who went on to become a member of an all-female Cultural Support Team in Afghanistan. The top marksman earned the Bronze Star posthumously after losing her life rendering aid to a fellow soldier. In March 2022 President Biden signed legislation renaming the San Diego Veterans Affairs medical center in honor of Capt. Jennifer Moreno.
GIFF has made efforts to spotlight the black and brown communities as well as women and the LGBTQ veteran population, said Keshia Javis-Jones, Marine Corps veteran who serves on the GIFF Advisory Committee. “The more light we bring to struggles anyone in uniform might face, the more capable we are in overcoming those struggles.”
A common thread in many of the films was the need for more mental health services in the VA, addressing PTSD and sexual trauma experienced by women in service. “The Search” and “#IamVanessaGuillen” tell stories of sexual assault, murder, and suicide, presenting impassioned pleas for treatment and justice for women in the military.
African American choreographer Kehinde Ishangi’s “Not My Enemy” dug deep into the traumatic and dehumanizing impact of the VietNam war on black soldiers and their families. Moving in its artistry, she created the dance documentary as a means to understand her absent father’s choices after his return from Viet Nam.
“Brainstorms,” another standout film, looked within the mind of a veteran who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during combat and his difficult transition home. Speaking passionately about improvements needed in VA recovery protocols, Dr. Chrisanne Gordon noted that MRIs often do not detect TBIs, so veterans with this kind of brain trauma can be misdiagnosed and not receive needed support.
“By My Side” paints an especially tender portrait of how service dogs help heal trauma in the lives of combat veterans experiencing PTSD as they transition to civilian life.
In San Diego County, military veterans make up more than 13 percent of the population. With such deeply personal stories of warriors in both body and spirit, the GI Film Festival has an important place honoring those who serve.
See GIFilmFestivalSD.org for a complete list of awards.
