TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2007
BRATS WITHOUT BORDERS PRESENTS
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A Donna Musil Film
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B R A T S
OUR JOURNEY HOME
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U.S. military BRATS share intimate memories about their unique childhoods - growing up on military bases around the world, then struggling to fit into an American lifestyle with which they have little in common. Narrated and featuring songs by Kris Kristofferson. Interviews include General Norman Schwarzkopf.
SYNOPSIS
It's hard to imagine a military BRAT'S childhood. Moving from base to base around the world, they are at home everywhere - and nowhere. There are 1.2 million children being raised in the military today. An estimated 15 million Americans are former BRATS. They include actors Jessica Alba and Robert Duvall, Senator John McCain, and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. BRATS is the first cinematic glimpse into a global subculture whose journey to adulthood is a high-octane mixture of incredible excitement and enormous pain. Make no mistake – BRATS is not about the U.S. military – it's about their children, who grow up in a paradox that is idealistic and authoritarian, privileged and perilous, supportive and stifling - all at the same time. Their passports say “ United States ,” but they're really citizens of the world. Singer/songwriter and Air Force brat Kris Kristofferson leads us through the heart of their experiences, sharing intimate memories with fellow BRATS, including General Norman Schwarzkopf and author Mary Edwards Wertsch. Their stories reveal the peculiar landscape of their childhood, the culture that binds them together, and the power it exerts over their lives. A seven-year work of passion by independent filmmaker Donna Musil, BRATS features rare archival footage, home movies and private photographs from post-war Japan , Germany , and Vietnam .
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT - The Story of Brats
The idea for a non-fiction film about military children took root back in 1998. I was a labor lawyer-turned-writer feeling a bit out of sorts and “different” from my fellow Americans, but didn't know why. Then one day I discovered I was not alone. There are literally millions of us military BRATS scattered around the world and more are being born every day. We are raised in a separate and distinct culture that affects us deeply in both positive and negative ways.
Making this cultural connection gave me a sense of belonging I had never experienced. This was empowering to a “little girl” who had moved twelve times on three continents, attended three high schools, and lost her father, an Army officer, by the time she was sixteen years old.
Today, I have a film about a group of people whose only “hometowns” are each other. We have more in common with the military children and “global nomads” of other countries than with our fellow citizens. And that is my vision – that this film might be a spark in a global fire of self-awareness and belonging – that from the ashes of war might rise a nation of children committed to peace.
How Many Brats Are There?
How many BRATS are there? The truth is, nobody knows. In a country obsessed with polls and statistics, neither the Department of Defense (DoD) nor anyone else has kept a running count of the number of children raised in the U.S. military. And you can't tell just by looking. They're every race, every age, every religion. They're everywhere. They're your spouses, your parents, your grandchildren, your co-workers, and your neighbors. The DoD school system estimates it has educated 4 to 7 million BRATS overseas since 1946. But that's only 20-30% of the total brat population, so you're looking at a total of at least 15 million BRATS . The potential audience for BRATS: OUR JOURNEY HOME is huge. And that's just BRATS ' niche audience. The spouses, children, grandparents, co-workers, and neighbors of BRATS are also raving about the film – the first documentary to tackle this complex, but fascinating subject.
We've had over one million hits on the website... www.bratsfilm.com
FILM REVIEW:
I saw this beautiful film at the Newport Beach Film Festival... it is very, very well made and is a must for each and every American who ever lived under these circumstances... this is not an easy topic...the filmmaker has done an excellent job of laying out the major issues.... We should all support this film in the most aggressive way possible...
– John Hardy, Producer, Sex, Lies and Videotape , Erin Brokovich , Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12
Illuminating... compelling and revealing... full of powerful little moments... Bonds are made then broken. Loss is inevitable, and comes often, sometimes in devastating ways.
– Doug Norris, Arts & Living Editor, “BRATS Tells Uniquely American Story,” South County Independent ( Rhode Island )
... a big hit... laughter, tears, sounds of surprise, and murmurs of recognition... anyone can relate to Musil's sympathetic narrative... her acclaimed film is simply a well-done documentary. (4-star review)
– Gregory Epps, Film Correspondent, Portfolio Weekly (the 7-City Virginia Beach area)
I am completely overwhelmed… I thought I had covered this waterfront both intellectually and emotionally, but how wrong I was… I was sobbing.
– Sarah Bird, Author, The Flamenco Academy and The Yokota Officers Club
Who knew that others shared my experiences or even cared... Strongly and creatively directed... the film hit home.
– George T. Marshall, RIIFF Executive Director/CEO, for the New England Entertainment Digest
The first true, sometimes brutally raw, telling of the lives of military dependents… This documentary should be classified as required viewing.
– Steve Eisenbaugh, CIA Brat, Taipei American School '74
... challenges conventional expectations… exciting and courageous... should be viewed by everyone concerned about children.
– Marlene Knudson Koenig, Retired Department of Defense Teacher & Principal
I can't believe the changes in my life it's brought about already.
– Ginger Cole Turner, Austin , TX
Oh, my gosh. You took most of my feelings and had other people say them. I never wanted the movie to end!!! It was the most wonderful trip HOME!!! Thank you forever and ever.
– Katie Villlani, Navy Brat
