The first issue portrayed in “Brave Little Soldier” is that of the ban on women serving in combat roles. This issue is two-fold as firstly, combat experience is necessary to climb up the military rank, and secondly, because women do and have served in the front line risking their lives, but because of the law are denied the actual recognition and benefits, such as increased pay and opportunity for promotion.
Recently, a major topic in the news has been the lift of the ban which occurred on January 24, 2013 when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced a policy shift which forces each branch of the military to incrementally open jobs in combat to women.
Another hot topic in the news has been the sexual violence present in the military. This is the second issue exemplified by the short film as it is a growing problem as women soldiers face an epidemic of rape and sexual abuse from their superiors and fellow soldiers. This problem only continues to increase as nothing is being done about the crimes aside from covering them up. Statistics suggest one in three women experience sexual assault at the hands of fellow servicemen and a recent report shows 3,192 reported cases in 2011 alone.
Anna Lakomy, a Polish-American actress and co-founder of Project Social Art, directed and stars in “Brave Little Soldier.” She said, “We are really excited to be able to release this short-film at such a time when these issues are being talked about and we hope that this project will further raise awareness to the issues presented, particularly that of rape. We are also happy that women will now be allowed to officially serve in combat roles in all branches of the military and we predict that this will consequently and finally address the issue of sexual violence in the military, as well.”
“Brave Little Soldier” will be entering the film festival circuit in April.
For more information about the film (and to see the trailer) visit: www.ProjectSocialaArt.com