The death of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén inside an armory at Fort Hood, Texas shocked a nation and shined a light on a culture of incompetency, ignorance, and retaliation against victims of sexual assault or harassment in the military. What followed was military reform with the passage of the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act which gave greater protections for victims of sexual assault, misconduct, and harassment.
Now, her story is coming to Netflix in a new documentary.
I Am Vanessa Guillén will focus on the tragic murder of Guillén and her family’s fight for justice against the military-industrial complex that has failed to protect, support, or take appropriate action when their soldiers have been sexually assaulted. In Vanessa Guillén’s case, she reportedly informally reported being sexually harassed two times while at Fort Hood, with her supervisors not taking action before her tragic murder. Her family also said that before her death, Vanessa never officially reported the sexual harassment due to fear of retaliation.
Christy Wegener, the director of I Am Vanessa Guillén, told Variety that at the core of this documentary is a story “about overcoming the greatest odds imaginable in the name of family, love, and justice. This is David vs. Goliath on steroids.”
Wegener went on to say, “Taking on the U.S. military, one of the largest, most powerful institutions in America is no easy feat. In making the film, it was incredible to witness a family, in the most tragic moment of their lives, put their grief aside, step out into the public arena, and fight for the greater good.”
I Am Vanessa Guillén will be coming to Netflix on November 17, 2022.