18 Delta — A Bellem Entertainment Film

Crowdfunding Campaign · Launching December

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18 Delta poster: Bulent Gurcan beside a battlefield cross of helmet, rifle and boots. A Bellem Entertainment Film.

The Film

A film made by veterans, for veterans.

A veteran army medic living in seclusion saves the teenager who broke into his cabin, and in keeping him alive starts to heal himself.

We are a veteran crew and cast where possible. Our veterans suffer in silence, we hope our film will generate awareness.

Our goal is to help bridge the gap between the younger generations and our war veterans — promote awareness of veterans’ daily struggles — foster public perception and awareness. We believe that through understanding the turmoil others face, we can approach situations with empathy and kindness.

Summary

Kam is a war veteran seeking solitude away from civilian life. Troubled teens break into Kam’s cabin. As they rifle through Kam’s belongings, they find a WWI sword Kam found in the woods. As they mess around, one of the teens, Elijah, gets stabbed in the chest with the sword. His friends, terrified and in shock over the fact they think they killed their friend, run away, leaving Elijah behind.

Kam finds Elijah unconscious with his sword in his chest. Kam, fearful of going back to jail, faces a moral dilemma. He knows he cannot call the police or take the teen to the hospital. His instincts and training kick in as soon as he realizes Elijah is still alive. Due to Elijah’s significant blood loss, without hesitation, Kam takes action, addressing the injury. Now, he has to nurture Elijah back to health and hopefully clear his name. Throughout this journey, Kam learns that Elijah’s grandfather was a war veteran as well. They exchange stories, share moments, and grow an understanding of each other by putting their differences aside.

Kam’s mission to get Elijah back to physical health allows him to heal his own emotional scars.

What the Industry Is Saying

There’s a great sense of tone and emotional consistency throughout, particularly in how well the writers mine atmosphere via a quiet, meditative style of storytelling—in this way, it draws parallels to fan-favorite films like Leave No Trace or even Mystic River.

The Black List

It’s rare to read a script that uses visual storytelling this effectively. Not only is the geographical setting fully a character in the film, it grows and evolves in ways that bolster the emotional and thematic spine of the piece.

Academy Nicholl

Similar voice to Taylor Sheridan and Debra Granik.

The Black List

Why This Story

As a filmmaker, it is my desire and responsibility to take the audience on a thought-provoking, impact-driven journey. I am a war veteran who, at one point, found himself at the bottom of a bottle with a shotgun in his mouth. I was able to get out of that bottle, leaving the shotgun behind. I know firsthand how life can sometimes cripple and suffocate – the isolation, depression, hopelessness, alcohol and drug abuse that can sometimes lead to suicide.

Bulent GurcanCo-Writer / Co-Director / Actor

This is our way of serving others and allows us to make a meaningful impact through a story based on truth.

We hope to shine some light into this darkness and show through our film that silence and solitude, as so many veterans seek out, are not negative but rather coping, if not survival, mechanisms.

Producer / Director Statement

Out of the darkness.

Our protagonist’s struggles mirror those of many war veterans suffering from PTSD. Using this lens, we aim to educate others and broaden empathy and understanding for our Country’s veterans.

Our goal is to help bridge the gap between the younger generations and our war veterans and to promote awareness and foster public perception as to the struggles (from suicide to drug addiction/abuse) veterans live through daily. Through understanding the turmoil others face, we can approach situations with kindness and compassion. We aim to help the general public understand and empathize with the darkness our veterans navigate through every day. This has become our passion project.

Our objective is to produce and distribute a fictional film that will reach a broad audience and achieve greater impact using Kam’s war history as the backstory to fuel the story engine rather than a documentary that seldom targets a new demographic.

Artistically, we delve into dark subject matter with poetic grace. The film’s center teeters on the edge of dysfunctional collapse. It displays a delicate balance of emotional upheaval, retaining a constant subtle mood grounded in a beautiful atmosphere that investigates inner chaos charged by external factors.

Music choices elevate the audience’s emotional resonance with the subject matter. Moments of complete silence capture the claustrophobic state that binds our lead, Kam, an 18 Delta (Army Medic). Camera angles and distortion heighten moments of despair, while the bond of friendship and sacrifice leads the audience out of the darkness with Kam.

Themes Explored

To be truly seen.

18 Delta delves deep into the intricacies of vulnerability, the therapeutic power of friendship, and allowing others to truly see us. Central to the film is the exploration of how societal pressures and personal traumas can silence us with labels, forcing us into a world where we remain misunderstood. The film shines a light on the paths we are sometimes forced to take in order to remain hidden and how difficult it truly is sometimes to ask for help, especially when we are afraid.

Set against the serene backdrop of the Green Mountains of Vermont, the narrative underscores the juxtaposition between external calm and internal nightmares.

It showcases the power camaraderie holds as a medium for introspection, growth, redemption, and the tranquility that comes from trusting one’s instincts, even when faced with fear.

Through Kam’s friendship with Dean, Kam’s decision to heal Elijah, and the bond that grows as a result, the film touches on themes of loyalty, integrity, honesty, faithfulness, the healing capacity of shared experiences, and the importance of honoring one’s instincts.

The Setting