(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, August 22, 2014 ) Brooklyn, NY --- Michele Clark’s latest project, Poem or Beauty Hurts Mr. Vinal, is more than just a short film.
It’s a learning experience for students at New York’s School of Visual Arts. It’s the challenge of making a poem come alive on the silver screen.
But most of all, it’s an exploration and exposé of war’s devastating effects on the human mind. The film takes a cold, hard look at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS) in a returning soldier and the effects it has on his family.
What is the perfect welcome for a soldier? What is the perfect dinner, the perfect house?
“This is a story of coping and the shaping of one's desires and goals,” said Clark, the film’s director. “What happens when you are a stranger in your own life, displaced in your own home and a stranger to your family? Do the increasing societal pressure and the desire to be perfect force you to hide under a blanket of avoidance?
“Or do you find comfort in the arms of others or substances that make the pain disappear momentarily?”
Clark points out that the film addresses a battle, PTSD, that is often overlooked. “Psychiatrists estimate that one in three U.S. soldiers will experience PTSD after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan,” she said. “The rate doubles for those who served two tours, which makes up approximately 40 percent of all U.S. troops.”
Poem or Beauty Hurts Mr. Vinal, based on a poem by E.E. Cummings, is being developed by a class taught by award-winning American filmmaker Bob Giraldi, who is serving as the film’s executive producer.
In the film, which is set in 1950s South Brooklyn, a blue collar family strives for the American consumerist dream as a veteran reflects on memories of war. This poetic commentary is a look at their struggle for reward in a culture for which they have fought for.
To complete this project, Clark needs $10,000 for film production, editing, distribution and marketing. In order to raise this capital, she has launched an Indiegogo campaign, which can be viewed at the Indiegogo site.
Donations of any amount are welcome. For $50, backers will receive the motion picture soundtrack. By pledging $500, contributors are rewarded with a guest appearance in the film.
“This is an important movie,” Clark said. “With all the conflicts going on all over the world, it’s important to understand what veterans are going through and how civilians can assist in making the environment in which they transition, leaves them feeling empowered.”
