I no longer felt crazy for holding off washing some dirty uniforms Brian had left.
Before their husbands deployed, I met two Marine Corps wives, Brandi and Denneny. We agreed that I would film them before, during and after the deployment. I, also, began interviewing people from around the country.
My goal in talking to the wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, girlfriends was to help others by gathering insight. Yet, unexpectedly, I found myself healing. Relating our common experiences gave me a camaraderie I didn’t have before. In my soul, I knew what it meant when one mom talked about walking into the in her son’s closet just to smell him. I no longer felt crazy for holding off washing some dirty uniforms Brian had left. When you don’t know if you are going to see someone alive again, you cling to the artifacts they’ve left behind.
As filming continued, my understanding of the effects of deployment broadened. Before working on the documentary, I didn’t know that families experience Post Traumatic Stress. I didn’t know that if your partner deploys during your pregnancy you are more likely to suffer from Postpartum Depression. And, the scariest thing I didn’t know is that as the years have gone by, the rate of suicide in families is increasing. These facts have made my mission all the more urgent.
My hope was, also, that the movie would bring awareness to those who didn’t know anyone in the military, and spur them to action. Even before While Time Stands Still was finished, this already became the case. A community of volunteers, most of which had no military ties, helped bring the film to fruition solidifying my belief that people wanted to help, but didn’t know how.
The film is, finally, complete. While Time Stands Still celebrates Military Families as the heroes of our own story, shares the inspiring resilience of human spirit, and shows that even though war tears us apart, our love not only endures, but also becomes stronger.
Now, comes a new challenge: getting the word out the film exists…
Join me in this next chapter. Share your stories of love and courage on the film’s Facebook page. How did you make it through deployment? What did you learn about yourself? What did it take for you to heal? Where are you now? I believe it is vital that the world hears our stories. Do you?
Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You are a hero.
You can find out more about While Time Stands Still and buy the DVD at MilitaryFamilyDocumentary.com. You can also follow the movie on Facebook and contact Elena at [email protected].
Filmmaker and Spouse of an Iraq War Veteran, Elena Miliaresis directed, produced, and wrote the forthcoming nonpartisan documentary While Time Stands Still. An inspiring film about love, courage, and sacrifice, While Time Stands Still tells the gripping story of America’s Military Families during war.
Elena’s previous experience includes nearly fifteen years of directing and producing documentaries, news, reality, biographies, and sports programs for television. In addition, Elena was honored to help recognize Military Families by casting the Lifetime Television show Coming Home, which featured Homecoming reunions of Service Members and their Families. Her prior work includes a stint at E! Entertainment Television where she produced, wrote, and directed fourteen episodes of the Emmy nominated True Hollywood Story. Elena’s documentaries, “American Idol” and “Gymnasts: Little Girls, Big Dreams”, were two of the highest rated theme shows in the history of the series. Prior to E!, Elena was a producer at ABC Network News. She produced for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Good Morning America, Nightline, and World News Now, covering numerous national and world events, including September 11th.
Elena is currently creating media that inspires healing and positive change. For more information, visit MilitaryFamilyDocumentary.com.
