Hope: In the Aftermath of War (2025)

After returning from combat, a soldier’s struggle with trauma, addiction, and fractured family ties forces her daughter to confront the quiet war unfolding at home—one that neither of them signed up for but both must survive.

• War
• Documentary

Hope is an intimate portrait of a military family fractured by the invisible wounds of war. At its heart is Catherine, a decorated soldier and mother who returns from deployment profoundly changed—emotionally withdrawn, plagued by guilt, and struggling with addiction. Her daughter, Hope, once protected by her mother's strength, becomes a witness to her unraveling, forced to mature too quickly amid the chaos of relocation, strained family bonds, and a lack of institutional support. As Catherine battles to reintegrate, her marriage collapses, and the military’s absence of post-deployment care deepens her isolation. Her husband leaves, her daughter grows distant, and Catherine is left with the crushing realization that service came at a cost no one prepared her for.

Release date

May 9, 2025

Runtime

13m

Language

English

Director

Daniel L. Bernardi

Status

Released