DON’T FORGET TO LOOK FOR THE HOPE
An experiment in memoir filmmaking...part documentary, part memoir, part animated graphic novel, and part experimental social issue treatise.
It is the story of a combat Marine veteran’s first encounter with incarceration. An experience that plays profoundly on all the life roles that he holds dear, a Marine, a father, a son, a grandson, an ex husband, a friend. The experience penetrates deep into all his personal battles with life off (and on) the battlefield and brakes down barriers that have haunted him since returning from five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The harshness of the jail experience brought on a kind of enlightenment. It is a deeply personal story about love, hope, and connection... ...it is an open heart in the middle of hell.
With a skilled and honest writing style that carries you right into the scene...this embattled empath Marine narrates his own story with a smooth and engaging voice over style that is friendly, descriptive and keeps your attention where it needs to be so it can speak its truth to power.
This is a story that not only shows us how the simple act of genuine kindness in a dramatically difficult situation can inspire unselfish acts of love, but it also becomes an expose on the harmful social elements that are present in the jail experience. Elements that are not commonly dealt with in any meaningful way. They are harmful to inmates and continue to hurt our communities by ignoring the true meaning of our connection to the human condition.