Article by Davide Lassandro

Translation by Lihn Carrara

Films that are devoted to the terrible consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD) nowadays constitute a new cinematic genre, this genre is used by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes in his first feature-length film, My Dead Friend Zoe. The Film is a black comedy which deliberately tries to mitigate a subject that is so sensitive, especially for Americans, and too often overlooked. The director himself, who enlisted shortly before November the 9th and retired in 2008, is a former Army paratrooper. Moreover, in addition to making social-impact short films and commercials for various companies, he has been trying his hand at studying cinema for these past fourteen years thanks to the support provided by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act.

To give voice to his past and the countless stories of his ‘tribe’ (the veterans), the director chose the face of Sonequa Martin-Green, as if it was a female autobiography. The actress plays Merit, a cold and rigid protagonist who is haunted by the incessant visions of her best friend Zoe (Natalie Morales), who died by suicide after their last mission in Afghanistan. Soon, the former soldier will find herself dealing with a grandfather in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Dale (Ed Harris), a stern and pushy mother, Kris (Gloria Reuben), and a caring doctor in charge of a group therapy, and Cole (Morgan Freeman). The initially slow-paced – and in some ways weak – narrative, along with the several flashbacks that explore the relationship between the two female comrades, gives way to a positively decisive ending. The story is a successful both in dispelling the myth of the fearless and brave soldiers, who never have to talk about how they feel, and in denouncing the convenient and hasty attitude of ‘Thank you for your service’, oblivious to the psychological consequences of what are ultimately just human beings.

Hausmann-Stokes manages to explore themes of loneliness and guilt with a delicate yet sarcastic touch, aided by a palette of warm and vibrant tones and a touch of irony in the dialogues that is meant to downplay as much as possible, while preserving the seriousness of the situation, without ever becoming ridiculous. It is a film that encourages us to live in the present and rather than in the past, showing how holding onto our darkest fears can become an exhausting spiral that consumes us, and that opening up to someone is never the wrong choice. Despite the overtly patriotic self-aggrandizing tone typical of many American narratives, My Dead Friend Zone remains an example of the care and dedication that ­- especially in recent years- various associations are employing in helping veteran soldiers overcome their difficulties. Among these there is also the one the filmmaker is part of, which is named the Everytown for Gun Safety’s Veteran Advisory Counsel.