"Poster Girl" Premieres at GMU April 27th

Robynn Murray is "Poster Girl"

"Poster Girl," a nominee for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, premieres April 27 at George Mason University.

The film tells the story of Robynn Murray, an all-American high-school cheerleader turned “Poster Girl” for women in combat, distinguished by Army Magazine’s cover shot. Now home from Iraq, her tough exterior begins to crack, leaving her struggling with the debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. It may occur soon after a major trauma, or it can be delayed for more than 6 months after the event. When it occurs soon after the trauma, it usually gets better after 3 months. However, some people have a longer-term form of PTSD, which can last for many years.

PTSD can occur at any age and can follow a natural disaster such as a flood or fire, or events such as war, a prison stay, assault, domestic abuse, or rape. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States may have caused PTSD in some people who were involved, in people who saw the disaster, and in people who lost relatives and friends. These kinds of events can produce stress in anyone, but not everyone develops PTSD.

The cause of PTSD is unknown, but psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors are involved. PTSD changes the body’s response to stress. It affects the stress hormones and chemicals that carry information between the nerves (neurotransmitters). Having been exposed to trauma in the past may increase the risk of PTSD.

Having good social support helps to protect against PTSD. In studies of Vietnam veterans, those with strong support systems were less likely to get PTSD than those without social support.

People with PTSD re-experience the event again and again in at least one of several ways. They may have frightening dreams and memories of the event, feel as though they are going through the experience again (flashbacks), or become upset during anniversaries of the event.

Filmmaker, Sara Nesson

The documentary, Poster Girl, which was shot and directed by first-time filmmaker Sara Nesson is an emotionally raw documentary that follows Murray over the course of two years as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption, using art and poetry to redefine her life.

The film is selected for this year's Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, the One World International Film Festival in Prague, the Women's Film Festival in Brattleboro, VT, and New York's Stranger Than Fiction Winter Series.

The event is sponsored by Film and Media Studies, Art and Visual Technology, Cultural Studies, English, Film & Video Studies, Global and Community Health, History, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, University Life, and Women and Gender Studies. As this diverse list suggests, organizers expect the film and filmmakers' presentation will generate fruitful discussion of a range of issues, including women in the military, war veterans, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder, women and gender issues in thr broader culture, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the use of art as a means to self-expression and rehabilitation.

The documentary will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Cinema and will be followed by a discussion with Sara Nesson, the film's director, and Robynn Murray, the subject who is featured in the film. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information on the event, visit http://fams.gmu.edu/events/964

For more information on the documentary, visit http://www.postergirlthemovie.com/

For a recent article with the director, visit http://www.documentary.org/magazine/meet-academy-award-nominees-sara-nesson-poster-girl


For more information on PTSD, visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/