A physical injury is visible to everyone. But what happens when the wound is not on the skin, but on the soul? With our campaign #InvisibleSuffering Let's take a look at something that many people choose to ignore: the psychological consequences of the German Armed Forces' missions abroad.
In four powerful short films, we give suffering a face. It is important to us to be transparent: The protagonists of our films – Dieter, Anna, Alexander and Daniel – are fictional characters. But their stories are shockingly real. The scripts were based on numerous real interviews and conversations we had with soldiers, veterans and their families who were actually affected.
The figure of the Dieter Walz represents those who return from deployment and realise that „everything in life has changed“. He embodies the real phenomenon of burying feelings and fears deep inside until the pressure escapes in the form of depression, flashbacks or aggressive outbursts of anger. His story shows how those affected often completely shut themselves off and feel dead inside.
PTSD and post-traumatic stress disorder never affect soldiers alone. We have incorporated the real experiences of spouses into the character of Anna Schmidt bundled together. It shows how relatives suffer from their partners" "emotional coldness" and personality changes, often to the point of exhaustion and nightmares. The scene in which her husband wants to put an end to the pressure reflects the dramatic reality that some families face.
The perspective of the children, represented by the son of the fictional father, is particularly touching. Alexander Habermann. He gives a voice to all those children who wonder why they are no longer allowed to hug their father or whether they themselves are to blame for his anger. Alexander himself shows the inner struggle of a father who loves his family but loses control due to his illness.
The expert in our films, Daniel Kunz, is based on professional reality. His explanations condense therapeutic knowledge in an understandable way: he compares trauma to a "shot to the soul" and a jumbled puzzle in the mind. His message to all those affected is clear: it is a sign of strength to take off the „emotional protective mask“ and seek help.
This campaign is a joint effort based on broad expertise. #InvisibleSuffering is an idea from Angriff auf die Seele e. V. The first three films were produced in close cooperation with the project „Mutmacher – Stark für Bundeswehrfamilien“ (Encouragers – Strong for Armed Forces Families) by the German Hardship Foundation as well as the Catholic Family Foundation for Soldiers.
In order to ensure the technical accuracy of the symptoms and treatment methods described, accompanying advice was provided by the Psychological Trauma Centre of the German Armed Forces at the Bundeswehr Hospital in Berlin. All participating organisations are partners in the Bundeswehr's „Netzwerk der Hilfe“ (Network of Assistance). The professional film adaptation of the scripts was carried out in collaboration with the Berlin agency C3 Creative Code and Content Limited Company.
We chose this cinematic approach to make the anonymous fates tangible without exposing individual people. We were awarded the German Brand Award 2024 This award confirms our commitment and that of our partners to continue our work and make the invisible visible.
Do you recognise yourself or your loved ones in these stories? You are not alone.
c/o Psychological Trauma Centre of the German Armed Forces
13 Scharnhorst Street
10115 Berlin
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