Together with Veterans NW Oregon and Rogue Cell to host the premiere of their new documentary “Battlegrounds and Backroads” and hold a Q&A with the combat veteran filmmakers in Astoria, Oregon, on Veterans Day.
Astoria, Oregon — Rogue Cell, a collective of combat veterans from Oregon’s North Coast, has announced the premiere of its new 52-minute documentary, Battlegrounds and Backroads, which confronts one of the state’s most urgent and devastating crises: the epidemic of veteran suicide in rural communities.
Oregon consistently ranks among the top five states in the nation for veteran suicide rates in rural areas. For members of Rogue Cell, this statistic is not an abstraction—it’s personal. Each has faced struggles tied to combat, including suicidal ideation, the collapse of community ties, and the loss of purpose after service.
Determined to understand why so many brothers and sisters in arms are dying at home after surviving the battlefield, Rogue Cell members Brad Pietzyk and Sean Davis set out on a journey across the state. They logged more than 4,000 miles, traveling from Astoria to the Owyhee Canyonlands, from the Willamette Valley to the high desert of Ontario, from Klamath Falls to Pendleton and John Day and many more.
Along the way, they sat down with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Oregon State Senator James Manning, community leaders, Veteran Service Officers, counselors, fraternal organizations, and veterans themselves. The result is Battlegrounds and Backroads—a raw, unflinching portrait of a hidden crisis, and a call to action.
“Our goal was never just to tell stories,” said co-director Sean Davis. “It was to shine a light on why this epidemic is happening, and to ask what can be done to save lives.”
Battlegrounds and Backroads will premiere on Veterans Day, November 11, at the historic, 100-year-old Venetian-themed Liberty Theatre in downtown Astoria. Doors open at 4 p.m.
The screening will be followed by a 20 minute Q&A with Brad Pietzyk and Sean Davis, moderated by former Clatsop County Veterans Service Officer Josh Davis.
For more information please go to www.RogueCell.org