When 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén was murdered by a fellow soldier at Army base Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, two and a half years ago, the military had no idea of the firestorm her death would set in motion against the epidemic of sexual harassment in the armed services.
In the upcoming documentary I Am Vanessa Guillén, director Christy Wegener helps to bring to life the story of Guillén, the events that led up to her murder, and the unrelenting fight of her family to “expose ongoing corruption within the military ranks.”
The documentary follows Vanessa’s sisters Lupe and Mayra, who spearheaded and inspired protests for Vanessa in city streets and right up to the halls of power in Washington, D.C. The film “offers a behind-the-scenes look at their tenacious pursuit to change a deeply rooted, controversial military justice system.”
The official trailer for I Am Vanessa Guillén begins with Lupe demanding that the Army find her sister Vanessa, who went missing in April 2020. “Where’s my sister?” Lupe yells on camera. “They know where she is. I want them to speak up.” The remains of Vanessa would not be found until two months later at a location off-base.
“This was not one of those cases the military could sweep under the rug,” said U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier in the preview.
In the trailer, we also hear from Vanessa’s mother Gloria, who was rightfully frustrated with the military leadership at Fort Hood. To her, they didn’t seem to care that Vanessa had disappeared. “These animals won’t look for my child,” she said. “I have to look for my daughter myself.”
Netflix describes the film as “a bracing, candid testament to what a family’s love can do, even in the face of unimaginable grief.”
I Am Vanessa Guillén premieres November 17, 2022, on Netflix.