Punkt 6

Based on research and interviews conducted by Patricia Rincon and Paula Zacharias in Central Mexico, Los Angeles and San Diego about immigration to America and different people's ideas about the American Dream.

War Zone/Comfort Zone follows two women, Joy Kiss and Shalini Madaras---whose son was killed in Iraq in 2006---as they fight to open the first transitional supportive house for female veterans in Connecticut. Their fight, shown through emotional zoning meetings including copious neighborhood opposition, is interwoven with the personal stories of women veterans facing incredible hurdles as they transition back to civilian life. Jill, the only woman squad leader in her brigade, has PTSD and is living with her in-laws. Caroline was sexually assaulted by two fellow soldiers and has been homeless on and off for thirty years. Gladys has a traumatic brain injury and is sleeping on her ex-husband's couch. Will the city of Bridgeport find a place for these women?

Inspired by the Vietnam-era G.I. coffeehouse movement, young American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars opened Coffee Strong 300 meters from Joint Lewis-McChord Base in November 2008. This non-profit cafe is a space where soldiers, veterans, and military families discuss politics and the impact of war. It also provides G.I. counseling, as well as resources for those struggling with combat stress, military sexual trauma, difficulties with veteran benefits, or legal mazes. At the center of this documentary are the veterans who run Coffee Strong. The film explores their decisions to join the military, memories of deployment, relationships with one another, and how their efforts to make a more peaceful and just world help them cope with their own experiences of war.