PROJECT OVERVIEW
"The Way Through" is a film about one man's healing journey back to his true self, through the use of psychedelic medicines.
The story unfolds in the held space of an MDMA assisted journey.
It's also a conversation piece coming at a time when the collective zeitgeist around psychedelic healing is reaching a peak.
THE STORY
What do you do when the danger is no longer the enemy, the danger is yourself?
After a failed suicide attempt and a bad breakup, Ethan leaves his life in Portland, Oregon to find solace in the remote Columbia River Gorge.
Hoping to isolate in nature, he unexpectedly finds community in the quirky neighbors he encounters.
Jake, a fellow combat vet on a healing journey of his own, introduces Ethan to the power of psychedelic medicine.
His landlady Janet inspires newfound understanding of his mother, a source of significant pain in Ethan's life.
And a chance encounter with Hope, a young woman at his favorite swimming hole, opens him up to new levels of self-reflection and trust as their friendship unfolds.
Despite persistent nightmares and his struggles with alcohol, Ethan is determined not to let the trauma that has disrupted all of his past relationships continue to sabotage him.
Through careful healing work with an underground Psychedelic Therapist, Ethan begins to unravel the trauma at the root of his struggles, and starts to believe what Hope has told him: "sometimes it's okay to not be okay".
But his demons won't go quietly. Will he have the courage to face them and find a way through?
MEET THE FILMAKERS
Ian Stout is a writer, director, producer, and all around filmmaker.
He is also a combat veteran with his own healing journey out of PTSD.
Cecily Crow is an actor, producer, and mindful embodiment coach.
Her own healing journey and work with clients inspired her to make a film that shows the healing process at its deepest and most intimate level.
A NOTE FROM THE WRITER
This film is very personal for me as Ethan's story is largely my own.
When setting out to write this script, I promised myself to be unflinchingly honest.
If it was raw, vulnerable and especially if it scared me, it went in the script.
Ethan’s tale has also been inspired by the stories of real people who have shared their healing journeys with me.
THE WHY IS EVERYTHING
My personal healing journey took me from traditional talk therapy to yoga, meditation, and years spent immersed in nature. And yet, there were still scars that ran too deep.
Carefully planned Psylocibin and MDMA-assisted journeys were the catalyst I needed to enter into an entirely new level of well-being.
Before this, I had little hope for myself, let alone most of my veteran and civilian brothers and sisters still struggling with PTSD. That has all changed!
With MDMA therapy on the brink of being legally available nationwide and many states working towards legalizing the therapeutic use of psilocybin, the time is now to tell this story.
UNDERSTANDING HEALING
THROUGH PSYCHEDELICS
Through this film, we portray the use of Psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA-assisted therapy as powerful healing modalities.
We also show the importance of harm reduction and the potential risks involved in taking any psychedelic without a safe "set and setting".
Psychedelic therapy is rarely represented realistically in modern media. Our intention is to further public understanding and acceptance of these modalities through the lens of one person's healing journey.
LETS COLLABORATE
If you share our vision of helping those with PTSD receive access to care, there are two ways you can partner with us to produce this film:
Donating: All donations to this project are 100% tax deductible through our fiscal sponsor, Warrior Films, a 501(c)(3).
Investing: There are many ways to invest. Let's begin a dialog!
READY TO DONATE OR INVEST?
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