Press
“In Waves and War” shows what a widespread condition PTSD is as well as the unexpected glimmers of hope that the unorthodox treatment can offer to ease minds and while the subject as a whole would seem like a heavy lift, Cohen and Shenk’s deep compassion for their participants translates into understanding what they’re going through with ease.
“As a portrait of physical and spiritual courage, “In Waves and War” was one of the strongest movies at DC/DOX, reminding viewers of the pain that is too often ignored in favor of ostentatious displays of “supporting the troops.”
“Netflix also licensed Cohen and Shenk’s second Telluride 2024 premiere, “In Waves and War” (November 3) a troubling story about how three Navy SEALs left their tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and returned home with treatment-resistant chronic psychological pain. They, and others in the veteran and PTSD community, are being saved, finally, by a healing psychedelic therapy.”
“When San Francisco filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk first met U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Capone, who would become one of the main subjects of their powerful new documentary “In Waves and War,” they remember feeling like “we were watching Superman walk into the room,” says Cohen.”
“With animated sequences and intimate profiles, 'Athlete A' directors Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s latest is another heartfelt look at a pressing social issue.”
“ Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s heartfelt documentary gives new meaning to the term “forever war” by showing the lasting impact that multiple deployments have had on a trio of Navy SEALs still struggling to truly come home years after retiring from the military.”
“The most wrenching sequences in their latest [film] have nothing to do with the medicinal properties of hallucinogens but rather the lived experiences of three vets for whom every other treatment failed.”
A Moving Documentary About Wartime PTSD That Actually Offers Hope
September 2, 2024
“A Moving Documentary About Wartime PTSD That Actually Offers Hope”
“The animation style is fluid and boundary-less, images just made out as they morph into something else: A helicopter hovering over a dusty landscape; a row of SEALs in night vision goggles approaching a target; fire exchanged over a tractor tire. The images are as hazy as memory, and a very effective way of getting inside the heads of these vets…”
The Best of the 2024 Telluride Film Festival
September 3, 2024
“All of a sudden, I was in hyperdrive in different parts of my life.”
– Marcus Capone