Help Us Shine a Light on Unresolved Trauma
Donation protected
RAISING AWARENESS
Why This Film Matters……
More than 220 million people in the US alone suffer from is now being called, Unresolved
Psychological Trauma, according to federal health statistics. Although this fact is largely
unrecognized outside of the more well-known effects of PTSD on the military and firstresponders,
unresolved psychological trauma can rule your life.
Ongoing nightmares, high levels of anxiety and fear, substance abuse, and disorienting
flashbacks are just a few of the symptoms. Major behavior changes, health issues, suicide and
even homicide can result. Most of us have symptoms, we just don’t see them.
Our purpose in making this film, is to shed a light on this dark and sometimes dangerous
phenomenon. Healing from trauma is possible when it is fully recognized and understood. We
feel the best way to bring national awareness to this issue is by creating an entertaining film that
gets people talking about it.
This can have worldwide implications. More than half of the global population may harbor
unresolved trauma, according to the NIH and the CDC.
We have already taken the first major step by writing a compelling screenplay, a powerful
psychological thriller set in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. We’re hoping to entice you into
helping us complete the film and help raise awareness!
Unresolved trauma can easily sabotage even the most loving relationships. Our major characters,
Jill and Thomas, must fight to save their marriage and then their lives as a dangerous ghost from
Thomas’s past re-emerges. The word trauma comes from the Greek word for wound.
The critical part of this film, besides the embracing storyline, is that it shares the importance that
love, hope and understanding plays in healing from even the worst psychological trauma.
Without this healing, though, life for those with a hidden and unresolved psychological trauma
will be filled with peril.
We want to shine a light with this film. Bringing awareness to this issue could help millions of
people. We’d love your help in doing this.
……And What Inspired It!
The screenplay focuses on a loving family of four suddenly struck by the dark powers of
unresolved trauma. We wrote this partly from personal experience. Both Billy and I have
suffered past psychological traumas of our own. As an investigative crime journalist, I have
written hundreds of stories for the Los Angeles Times, Reader’s Digest, Simon & Schuster, the
San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications. I’ve interviewed many victims who
talked at length with me about the severe emotional trauma they suffered. I have also interviewed
(after they were caught) some of the criminals themselves, including serial killers.
Many of the characters in the screenplay are inspired by the people I met during my
investigations.
One such character in the film is criminal psychologist, Sybil St. John. Her character was
inspired by my longtime relationship with Carol Daly, one of the first female homicide detectives
in California State history. Carol and I worked together for nearly 20 years in an effort to track
down the Golden State Killer. She worked with dozens of family members of his victims, some
of whom were nearby when the murders occurred. She helped many of them overcome the
intense psychological trauma this caused. I have interviewed many of them, and more than one
hundred other victims of violent crimes for different stories. Much of this screenplay is based on
what I learned from them and from incredible counselors and detectives like Carol.
Psychological trauma is real. Any soldier who has seen active duty will tell you that. This film
isn’t dark or dreary, though. It is spiked by a hot love affair, and contains a fair amount of humor
and gorgeous scenery. We want people to enjoy the film so much they’ll want to watch it again.
It’s the best way to get our message across and raise awareness.
We would love for you to be a part of our effort.
Organizer
Billy Mandarino
Organizer
Santa Barbara, CA