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A Young Marine's Struggle to Readjust into Society
Marine Scout Sniper Steven Becvar barely survives a brutal
encounter with the Taliban in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, but in the
process leaves a part of his humanity in that unforgiving terrain.
Upon returning to his suburban hometown, Steven must reconcile his
actions in Afghanistan that he deemed necessary to survive. Through an
increasingly combative relationship with his friends and family, he
begins to understand that the civilian world offers no refuge for him.
When the struggle to fit in proves insurmountable, the weight of Steven's experiences climaxes in a violent moment of truth.
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Why We're Doing This Project
As a group of young filmmakers who have worked with exploring the
consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, we want to tell a story that combines the
experiences of servicemen and women from all angles.
PTSD has been broached by Hollywood in recent years, but we believe
We Men Are Lions portrays the realities of modern combat and its aftermath in a unique way -- through the eyes of a teenager. While our film is a very intimate portrayal of Steven's transition from combat to his once-upon-a-time suburban life, the scope of this issue deserves the utmost attention and resources.
Making movies is an expensive endeavor, and Steven's story in
We Men Are Lions is too important for us to cut corners. As aspiring independent filmmakers, we don't have access to the financial resources of major Hollywood studios. However, through the grassroots nature of crowdfunding we are able to raise money to make a quality film, as well as reach an audience much larger than our network of friends and family. While we're trying to raise money, our primary goal is to raise awareness and broaden this cultural conversation.
The Team
Jim Jacobi - Writer/Director
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Originally from Houston, TX, Jim's passion for filmmaking developed at an early age. After first seeing
Saving Private Ryan, his decision to eventually pursue a career in movies was solidified. "Steven Spielberg recreated the fog of war, and accessed the audience's emotions in a way that hadn't been done before. After experiencing that, I knew I had to do everything in my power to recreate that feeling for my own audience."
Jim received a B.A. in Military History from Texas Tech University in 2009. As an undergraduate, Jim amassed a small personal library of soldiers' memoirs dating back to the American Civil War. After delving through these varied experiences of war, he began to understand a common thread of emotions that servicemen and women share across generations. While applying to film school, Jim read Marcus Luttrell's book
Lone Survivor. It was then that he decided, if accepted, his thesis film would tell the story of a fierce firefight in the Afghanistan mountains, and the aftermath of that chaos on its only survivor. Thus, the idea of
We Men Are Lions was born.
Jack Gustafson - Producer
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From Ocean Springs, MS, Jack studied English and Photography at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. While in Kansas City, Jack had great support from the academic and artistic communities that allowed him to develop creatively. Now in Los Angeles, Jack seeks to combine the visual and verbal aspects of storytelling in a way to tell stories with a personal and empathetic mission.
Chris Jones - Producer
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Born in Placerville, CA, Chris was raised on tenets of environmental fellowship and preservation, hiking and climbing in the Sierra Nevada. While attending U.C. Berkeley, Chris gravitated towards film as a viable means of social change and attained his B.A. in Film Studies. Now on the home stretch to receiving his M.F.A. in Film and Television Production, Chris strives to craft intimate narratives that effectively address environmental and social injustices - endearing audiences while challenging them.
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Where Will Your Money Go?
Because we want to replicate the experience of our Armed Forces, we
feel it necessary to make the environment as real as possible. With
that in mind, we've found a great spot to replicate Afghanistan in the
Angeles National Forest, as well as several other locations in and around the
greater Los Angeles Area. However, filming in a national forest is
pretty expensive, and permits and location fees are going to constitute a
large amount of our overall budget. That said, the largest portion of our budget will go to keeping our crew well fed and equipped with everything they need.
In addition to location fees, permits, and production expenses, your contributions will go towards:
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Great films have the power to change lives. This power rests in the ability to make people look at the world around them in a new way, and that's exactly our goal with We Men Are Lions. By focusing on the current war in Afghanistan -- and the personal aftermath of servicemen and women -- we're aiming to provide a way for people not associated with the military to be more empathetic towards the individuals facing this underrepresented struggle at home.
Any way that you can contribute goes a long way towards making this project a reality. With your support, we can make a difference in the way our society perceives the often-unknown realities of our military and their struggle with PTSD.
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We're trying to make the best film possible, but it won't be easy. Or cheap. We know this campaign is a risk, and that what we're asking for isn't even the full amount of our budget. However, anyone making a movie must embrace these risks, and our passion for the art of filmmaking reassures us that we're doing the right thing.
Aside from the monetary aspect of crowdfunding (which is great!), this campaign is the best way to make people aware of our story and to show the effects of PTSD in the most realistic way imaginable. Our entire team is in this for the long run, and we're equally devoted to ensuring our film is made the right way, no matter what.
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We understand that not everyone has the ability to contribute financially, but a simple shout-out on Facebook or Twitter goes a long way towards making our project happen. Every bit of news shared about our film -- whether online or in-person -- makes our project stronger, and hopefully gives people a moment to think about PTSD in a way that doesn't simplify or trivialize the experiences of combat veterans and their families.
Contact
If you have any questions, or would like to be a part of our project in a way not specified above, we would love to hear from you!
You can reach us at: wemenarelions@gmail.com
