Director: Sara Nesson Producers: Sara Nesson, Mitchell Block
Description:
In
2003, Robynn Murray, a National Merit Scholar and an all-American
cheerleader enlisted in the Army to a Civil Affairs unit focused on
rebuilding Iraq. While helping the Iraqi people was her main goal, on
Robynn’s first day in-country she was re-assigned to machine gunner
and made responsible for protecting her team from the turret of the
Humvee. On convoys outside the wire, Robynn receives sniper attacks
and is faced with difficult choices—to open fire with her Squad
Automatic Weapon or hold her fire to avoid civilian casualties.
Promoted to sergeant, Robynn was featured on the cover of Army
Magazine as a “poster girl” for women serving in first-time
combat roles. After her tour ended, Robynn became haunted by her
actions in Iraq. Her tough-as-nails exterior cracked, creating a
tailspin of anxiety, nightmares and panic attacks. Academy Nominated
documentary, Poster Girl, tells the touching story of this
young female soldier on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.
With the support of her mother, Anne, and Vietnam Vet, Bill Perry,
Robynn begins the daunting task of rebuilding her life as a civilian.
Her process begins when Robynn creates a series of torsos molded from
her body: draped with images torn from her Army manuals, American
flags and Combat Paper—a process that transforms her uniform into
paper. Robynn discovers deconstructing her military experience into
something creative and positive is literally saving her life. Poster
Girl speaks to a national concern for veterans who are left alone
to suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Eighteen
veterans commit suicide every day, a grossly unknown fact which was
only recently labeled an “epidemic,” proving that veterans’
health and well-being is not just a military issue, but also, a
humanitarian necessity. Through Robynn’s story, viewers gain an
understanding of the challenges soldiers face when they return home
from war, and explores what veterans can do to take responsibility
for their own healing.
Biography: Sara Nesson is a 2011 Academy Award-nominated director and winner of the
International Documentary Association Best Documentary Short for Poster Girl.
Sara is currently in development on her first narrative feature as
well as other commercial and documentary projects. Sara continues to
work with Veterans and is on the advisory board for Warrior Writers.
She is the founder of Portrayal Films, based in Brooklyn, NY.
Contact
Information:
e: snesson@mac.com
w: www.postergirlthemovie.com
