Gatekeeper highlights the real struggles veterans face with PTSD and suicide

How soldier-made 'The Gatekeeper' fights veteran suicide

We Are The Mighty
Shannon Corbeil
May. 09, 2019

Martinez is a combat veteran who saw first-hand the psychological effects war has on returning service members — and decided to do something about it.

There were more than 6000 veteran suicides each year from 2008-2016 alone.

'The Gatekeeper' cast and crew filming on location at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.

In contrast, the total number of fatal casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 is 6,995.

Suicide is a threat to our nation's service members — and in U.S. Army Paratrooper and creator Jordan Martinez's words, "Now, more than ever, we must tell stories about their experiences and remind others how important it is to never give up on the battle at home."

His passion for this topic is what inspired the USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate student to create The Gatekeeper, a psychological thriller that accurately, artistically, and authentically highlights the real struggles veterans face with PTSD and suicide.

This ain't no ordinary student film:

The Gatekeeper will be the first film in USC history to use motion capture technology for pre-visualization. Martinez has invested state of the art technology and equipment, incredible production locations, and professional cast and crew for this film, including Navy veteran and Stranger Things actress Jennifer Marshall and Christopher Loverro, an Army veteran and the founder of non-profit Warriors for Peace Theater.
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