When life throws its worst at you, your life changes drastically…in all the wrong ways, but you are not alone, and there is hope. This is the overarching message behind Eric Christiansen’s motivational documentary, UnMASKing HOPE.
UnMASKing HOPE tells the story of seven PTSD survivors. Sandra Lee is an actress who was sexually assaulted during her military tour in Iraq. Heidi Bender is a survivor of the tragic Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas. Molly Maurer was also at the Route 91 Festival, and if that wasn’t enough, a year later survived a second mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill.
Becky Lazinger, Ken Fairben, and Jack Delaney are all survivors of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Becky arrived to celebrate her work anniversary and escaped when the planes hit the towers. Ken was a volunteer firefighter along with his son Keith. Keith died in Tower 2, and in his last call to his father, Keith said he “had to go and help people.” Jack Delany was an EMT called to duty at the World Trade Center. He lost two of his team members and sustained severe injuries, including inhaling toxic material due to the debris. Lastly, Lyman Montgomery is a survivor of child sexual abuse committed by a trusted teacher. Today he is a motivational speaker helping other men who experienced sexual abuse.
As you would expect, UnMASKing HOPE walks us through the tragic stories of these seven individuals, but other than their trauma, what these seven have in common is they were able to rise up from their tragedy and find new life. As the seven stories are told, the recovery process is explained by PTSD expert Dr. Arieh Shalez, clinical advisor Amit Etkin, grief expert M. Katherine Shear, M.D., and author Laurie Margot Ross, Ph.D.
“…other than their trauma, what these seven have in common is they were able to rise up from their tragedy and find new life.”
The structure of the film is pretty straightforward. The participants’ stories are interwoven, allowing UnMASKing HOPE to walk us through the process. It starts with what happened and the aftermath of the tragedy. Left alone, all seven suppressed their tragedy and refused to talk about it. They put on metaphorical masks to show their friends, loved ones, and co-workers that they are as normal as they can be. Unfortunately, they not only kept quiet but bore a great deal of guilt, wondering why they survived while others perished or guilt from being helpless to stop the tragedy.
No one can bare this much guilt without collapsing eventually, and for each, they came to a point where they needed help. That help came in meeting other survivors, often in support group settings. In these meetings, people who have experienced the same tragedy can “echo their feelings” as if saying, “I know a little about what you are feeling.” From there comes the long healing process by confronting the event and ultimately finding the safety to return to life again.
Look, there’s just no way to be critical about UnMASKing HOPE. The film exists to do good. It took a lot of courage for the film’s participants to share their stories and be open and vulnerable to the millions of survivors who feel lost today. It’s also the perfect resource for friends and family who know people who have PTSD too. Director Christiansen took great care in being respectful to the stories and ended up with a film that not only had the right intentions but will ultimately help many people in the end. I should also point out that the film has some beautiful and thoughtful animation by Ed Bell and complements the story with Christiansen’s B-roll footage.
If you or anyone you know has suffered tragedy or PTSD, I don’t know the right timing, but UnMASKing HOPE is an excellent film and resource to bring to their attention. Eric Christiansen’s film can act as step one in the process of saying that you don’t have to be silent anymore. You can take off your mask and know that others know what you’re going through and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
For more information, visit the UnMASKing HOPE official website.
