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Synopsis
What makes home into a battlefield?
Battlefield: Home is the personal mission of self- described military brat, Anita Sugimura. In order to fulfill her mission, she journeys across the nation—and her own trauma-laden family legacy—to give voice to “the silence of what was unsaid” about war’s life-long consequences both on those who battle on the front lines as well as those who welcome them back home.
By speaking to combat veterans, their spouses and children, medical experts, and skilled professionals, Ms. Sugimura helps uncover and make sense of the hidden war wounds of PTSD, TBI, and Secondary Trauma for those who suffer with these afflictions as well as for those who welcome ‘the troops’ home from war. In breaking the silence veterans and their loved ones carry with them, Battlefield: Home exposes the complex urgency of serving returning vets, the toll that war takes on their loved ones, and the possibilities of what our nation could be if we help veterans and their families adapt and overcome their traumatic experiences.
Battlefield: Home is more than a film.
It is a mission.
Combat veterans and military families already fulfilled their duty to our nation; helping them is ours.
Anita Sugimura Holsapple – Director
Award-winning Japanese-American filmmaker, Battlefield: Home – Breaking The Silence is her first film, and was inspired by her own experiences as a military child during the Vietnam War.
As the daughter of a Japanese survivor of the bombing of Japan, and a combat U.S. Marine, Anita is very experienced with the heartache of trauma and the fallout of war. Having lived both stateside and abroad during her 20 years under the military umbrella, Anita’s insight into the military community brings an often-forgotten perspective of how war impacts every family member.
Anita holds a Master’s of Science in International Conflict Analysis & Resolution and undergraduate degrees in Sociology/Psychology, and the Culinary Arts. She is also an active member of The American Psychological Association and continues to contribute to various Veteran/military family programs and events.
Our Crew
Brent Joseph
Editor
An award-winning writer, director and editor of both documentaries and fiction films, Brent has worked as an assistant in cutting rooms on a variety of films, including Larry Clark’s cult classic, “Bully,” David Fincher’s Oscar winning film, “the Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Seth Rogen’s, “This is the End.”
Avaryl Halley
Editor
Born and raised in Malibu, CA, Avaryl has been working as a freelance editor since graduating from California Institute of the Arts in 2008. Her specialty is in montages and mash-ups for a variety of websites, including Moviefone, Yahoo and AOL. Her work also includes music videos, trailers and documentaries.
Charles Bernstein
Composer
Mr. Bernstein is very active as a composer of film and TV scores. He has composed scores for over 100 motion pictures, including genre classics A Nightmare on Elm Street (the original), The Entity, Stephen King’s Cujo, Dracula spoof Love At First Bite, and a wide variety of comedies, dramas and action films. He has provided music for Academy Award winning documentaries Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision and the all-music film Czechoslovakia 1968, as well as for the Tom Hanks Vietnam saga, Return with Honor. His many made-for-television films include the Jane Seymour historical epic Enslavement (Emmy Nominated for Best Score), HBO’s Emmy Award winning Miss Ever’s Boys with Alfrie Woodard, the Michael Mann Emmy winning 10-hour miniseries Drug Wars, Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Emmy winning Caroline?, Jack London’s The Sea Wolf (Emmy nominated for Best Score), and Emmy Nominated mini-series The Long Hot Summer, as well as the acclaimed historical mini-series Sadat.
Patricia Lee Stotter
Composer
An Emmy award winning composer and writer for film, television, theatre and interactive media, Patricia has scored for numerous documentaries including, “Unchained Memories” for HBO, “Discovering Women” for PBS and many others, including “Service: When Women Come Marching Home,” a multi-platformed documentary that she also co-produced with Marcia Rock.
Ms. Stotter is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild as well as ASCAP.
Keith J. Ebow
Director of Photography
Keith Ebow- A South Louisiana native, Keith has more than 30 years as a video and still photographer. His works include interviews with numerous celebrities, as well as investigative pieces. Keith’s work can be seen on “E,” “BET,” and many other shows and feature films and documentaries.
Jeremy Grassman
Graphic Design
Jeremy was a professional designer for almost two decades in the advertising and graphic design world of Dallas, Texas. He worked for various firms including DDB Needham, the Richards Group and Targetbase to name but a few. Jeremy has worked with many global brands & talented people in the agency world from Pepsi to Seagate, and Steve Frykholm to Seymour Chwast. He is now a professor at Nicholls State University.
Jeremy is a creative director, strategic thinker, old-school designer/typographer plus a whole lot more that brings a ton of creative energy to projects. Jeremy hails from Louisiana with a BFA in graphic design from LSU in 1997 and an MFA in 2014, Dean’s Medal recipient.
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War is hell. We all know this. But what makes war even more dangerous? It is the silence that warriors and families hold; that protective shield of honor and dignity often masking the pain of uncertainty and fear. It is the struggle to heal amidst the darkness of fleeting hope and despair. Battlefield: Home – Breaking The Silence delves into the silent pain, exposes the challenges, and unlocks the generational impact of trauma.