After Fire makes its world premiere on November 11 (Veterans Day) at New York City's IFC Center as part of DOC NYC.
Women now account for one in five new recruits to the U.S. Armed Forces. Set in the military outpost of San Antonio, Texas, this 90-minute documentary presents three women who are squaring off with the many challenges facing them as they try to readjust to civilian life after tours in war zones.
Brittany Huckabee directs this engrossing presentation of the harsh realities of post-military life for women veterans. The first one states:
"In the military, the focus is on the mission. Once the mission is over and you're transitioning to civilian life, you're in shock because there's so much trauma that has happened, and you stuffed it away."
The best path for these veterans to follow is to confront the often repressed physical and psychological trauma. How do they deal with it? Huckabee, the producer and director, affirms this strategy:
"Military women are resilient, and over the course of the film, its subjects gain insight that can apply to anyone seeking to overcome trauma: telling our own stories, and having these stories heard, enables us to reconnect with ourselves and with a community — and take the first step toward healing."
After Fire opens the doors for us to support and encourage veterans making the shift from military to civilian life while coping with moral injury, military sexual trauma, and other hidden wounds.