In most depictions of wounded warriors, the women stand stoically in the background. No longer silent, THE WEIGHT OF HONOR gives them a voice, following them as they struggle, triumph, and wonder about the challenges that lie ahead. The Weight of Honor is the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the lives of families caring for their catastrophically wounded returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Over the course of five years we follow stories of six women as they meet the challenges of being the sole caregiver to some of America’s best and strongest volunteer to protect our nation, but return home physically and emotionally broken and disillusioned. Our film is about happens when these warriors return and how their family caregivers must “step up” even though they have no training other than the love for their wounded.
What does it take for a mother to guide her young son through a painful rehabilitation from severe burns and amputation? Who has the strength to wash the wounds of her catastrophically burned husband when he howls in pain with every drop of water? What responsibility weighs on a young wife who must now care for her war-wounded husband as well as their newborn baby?
Our military does not prepare families for the return of a wounded warrior. The Weight of Honor tells their stories of strength, exhaustion, conflict, and even humor as they chart a course through the unknown.
