Pillar 2-Writing / Episode 7 – Eric Christiansen

THE 3 PILLARS – SERIES 2

Pillar 2 – Writing

Episode 7 – Eric Christiansen

Guest Speaker – Eric Christiansen

Eric Christiansen is an acclaimed documentarian who has built his brand around socially responsible filmmaking that educates, inspires and heals. He has the capability to identify an issue within a specific population and have it resonate with a general audience through compelling storytelling.

A trauma survivor himself, having lost his home in the Santa Barbara Painted Cave fire disaster, he understands trauma, the resilience of the human spirit, and how important HOPE is to the healing journey.

A seven-time Southwestern Region Emmy Award recipient, Christiansen’s previous films (Faces in the Fire, Homecoming: A Vietnam Vets Journey, Searching for Home: Coming Back from War) have been transformative in the recovery process for thousands of people whose lives have been compromised mentally, spiritually and physically by trauma.

Leveraged as educational tools by top mental health institutions, Christiansen’s films migrate from the entertainment arena into environments that help additional audiences navigate the profound collateral damage trauma creates not only on the individual, but the family and community as well. The New York Times called his last film, “strikingly photographed” and “…sure to give comfort and support to countless veterans and their families.” By spotlighting these survivors and their journeys, Christiansen has been able to help unify a variety of audiences around the power of HOPE, and educate the general population about the complexities of trauma.

Christiansen has also produced for major networks including Discovery, TLC, PBS, MTV and an Imax film.

HIs latest feature documentary, unMASKing HOPE is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity, illustrating the human capacity to heal. The film will deliver a much-needed message of HOPE that can help create bridges of inclusion and tolerance for those stigmatized by trauma.

unMASKing HOPE explores the elusive face of trauma. As a society, trauma is something we see every day on the news, and possibly something we have all gone through on one level or another. In the film, we come to know trauma–its impact on individuals, their families and communities–through the deeply emotional stories of a diverse group of survivors who have experienced unthinkable crises. To cope with what’s happened to them, survivors often don “masks” that hide their emotional pain–the years of social stigma and moral injury that have scarred their souls. We follow their journeys of healing and find that while their experiences may differ, they are unified through a message of HOPE.

unMASKing HOPE – The film is truly the culmination of his life’s work as a filmmaker and marks a significant milestone in his own personal journey as a trauma survivor.