In Waves and War
Three Navy SEALs leave their tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with treatment-resistant, unrelenting psychological pain. They find themselves at the cutting edge of a different frontline: a lifesaving psychedelic therapy that brings healing to a community in urgent need.
2024 | Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes | Rating: NR
Highly decorated Navy SEAL Marcus Capone returns from Afghanistan and attempts to readjust to civilian life. But years of unprecedented warfare have left Marcus with treatment-defiant PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and severe depression beyond what current government treatment options can effectively address. Fearing for Marcus’ life, his wife, Amber, finds hope in a groundbreaking therapy combining two powerful psychedelics unapproved for use in the U.S., but with seemingly limitless applications. Inspired by Marcus’ remarkable recovery but still confronted with the alarming rate of veteran suicide in their community, Marcus and Amber embark on a new mission: providing access to this lifeline. Alongside intimate interviews, captivating animation, and first-of-its-kind research at Stanford’s Brain Stimulation Lab, In Waves and War, from Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen is the emotional, inspiring odyssey of three American heroes as they overcome the after effects of war and rediscover their humanity.
Director, Jon Shenk is an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker and the winner of both Emmy® and Independent Spirit awards. He recently co-directed the Oscar®-nominated short film “Lead Me Home”, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and is a Netflix Original. Previously, Shenk and Bonni Cohen co-directed “Athlete A” (Netflix), which won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary and was nominated for five Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, winning for Best Sports Documentary.
Producer, Bonni Cohen has produced and/or directed an array of award-winning films. Most recently, she produced the Oscar-nominated short Lead Me Home (Netflix) and co-directed the feature Athlete A, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary and received four Critics’ Choice Documentary Award nominations. Previously, Cohen co-directed An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, which was selected as opening night film at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, shortlisted for the 2018 Oscars and was BAFTA-nominated for Best Documentary.
“Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s heartfelt documentary gives new meaning to the term “forever war” by showing the lasting impact that multiple deployments have had on a trio of Navy SEALs still struggling to truly come home years after retiring from the military.”
VARIETY
“A Moving Documentary About Wartime PTSD That Actually Offers Hope”
INDIE WIRE
Tags: Feature, Documentary, Mental Health