War, Trauma & Healing Collection
CEM has produced deeply personal films on the psycho-spiritual trauma of wars in Afghanistan and Viet Nam, on the loss of a son in gang violence, and of sexual abuse in Haiti. National Emmy Award for Outstanding Director; Sundance Premiere and nomination for Grand Jury Award. Narrated by Ben Kingsley for the BBC & PBS.
Last Images of War
Last Images of War is the compelling and tragic story of four photojournalists who covered the Afghan-Soviet war, felt an intense commitment to provide the world with the dramatic images it so craved, and who were ultimately consumed by the story and the conflict they were reporting on. This unforgettable, Emmy-Award winning film explores the motivation and ideals which carried these three men and one woman to their deaths in what was considered a Holy War or “Jihad” against the Soviet Union.
Healing a Soldier’s Heart
Healing A Soldier’s Heart traces the veterans’ gradual shift from terrorized nightmares, drug abuse and attempted suicides, to their eventual transformations as healed, spiritual warriors and even mentors to PTSD-suffering younger veterans from the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. The film is a profound, intimate story about the long-term, psycho-spiritual effects of war, and of the loss and eventual reconnection of the human soul.
Stories to Remember
This unique program brings together two guests who use the power of story and storytelling to remember what is important. Kay Olan, a renowned storyteller from the Mohawk nation in upstate New York, meets community organizer & youth mentor, Orland Bishop, who brings the power of story and African wisdom traditions to his work with members of the notorious LA gangs, the Crips and Bloods.
Forgiveness & Healing
This program focuses on forgiveness and healing on a personal and societal level, illuminating how spiritual practice and compassion can aid us on this most critical of journeys. We see Ed Tick and his wife Kate Dahlstedt take a group of traumatized Vietnam War vets back to the land where they fought and killed, to help them learn the art of “forgiveness of the self” for what they did during a war almost 40 years ago. Azim Khamisa practices “forgiveness of the other” as he traces how he learned to forgive the boy who murdered his own son. Now Khamisa works with the killer’s grandfather to foster forgiveness and healing with young audiences all over the world.
Healing, Family & Community
African healer Sobonfu Some meets author and medical doctor Rachel Naomi Remen to discuss topics such as the ways in which emotions cause illness, and how broken families can heal with the help of community.