"—Is there any dimension of your PTSD that is not damageable to your health?
—For a while, my music was among the rare things that kept me afloat. But it's been a long time since I touched my guitar.
—Would you sing in front of a camera?
—I could try.
—If we did one thing, that would be it: you sing.
—I want to try. But I have to be very careful. I know that the mere act of revisiting the songs I composed between the moment of my return until I got really depressed could make me lose control again.
—I want it to be as pleasant as possible. If not, do not try. And the most important thing is that if you change your mind, even at the very last second when we are ready to film you, you have to know that it will not pose any problem: you'll have the final word."
We filmed in March. For Jason it went "well." In July, while editing, in Paris, I got an email. Jason was doing "better": it took him eight long weeks to recuperate from these three days of filming. But he was happy.
Jason's music can be heard on the documentary soundtrack.
Photos & texts © Olivier Morel, all rights reserved | Website design by Kirsten Blazic and Olivier Morel | A Zadig Productions/Arte-France film, 2011 | Acknowledgements