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PTSD LOVE STORIES
“It was about giving them a voice, a platform to share their experiences and be seen,” she explains. “Above all, it is a profound privilege to be welcomed into people’s lives, even briefly, and document their hopes and challenges. I am forever grateful to our generous participants and their families, who shared their vulnerability on screen so that others might feel less alone.”
— Dr Kym Melzer, PhD
PTSD Love Stories is a bold, tender, and at times quirky and inspirational documentary offering an unfiltered look into the lives of three remarkable women navigating love, identity, and the complex realities of caregiving. Their loved ones suffered from PTSD as a result of frontline trauma from the Fire, Ambulance, Police, and Australian Defence Force. Told with honesty and humour, their stories invite us into the private spaces where trauma is held, and remind us that healing begins when we choose to see and to stand beside the unseen.
Through observational documentary, animation and re-enactment, the film offers an unflinching yet uplifting look at mental health, intergenerational trauma, workplace stigma, and the quiet heroism of caregiving.
“For over six years, I have researched PTSD, veterans, first responders, mental health, trauma, stigma and the everyday caregiving issues,” says Dr Kym Melzer, Producer and Writer, whose doctoral research underpins the project. Dr Melzer's journey began with Coming Home, a five-part series exploring how veterans manage PTSD through alternative therapies.
That led to The Ripple Effect of PTSD, a seven-part series shifting the lens to the unseen impact of trauma on caregivers — now archived in the Australian War Memorial National Film Collection.
Driven by rising suicide rates among first responders, Melzer developed Triple Effect – Who Cares for the Carers?, which evolved into PTSD Love Stories to reflect the film’s deeper focus on love, endurance and the cost of care.
The film was produced with investment from Screen Queensland and Seeding Time Pictures, in association with Kym Melzer Productions and financed with the assistance of Documentary Australia. The campaign is supported by Arafmi, Fortem Australia, Picking Up the Peaces and a growing list of national partners committed to raising visibility, fostering community, and supporting better mental health outcomes for carers, first responders and veterans alike. This work builds on the foundational support of Griffith Film School LiveLab, Carers Queensland, Carers NSW, Carers NT, and Carers Tasmania, who backed the project during its original crowdfunding campaign to complete the film.
"When Kym and I first began this journey together, we couldn't have imagined all the twists and turns that would bring us to this moment. From concept to completion, our production spanned 10 years, 39 shoot days, and 5 cities and towns. Through the challenges of the 2019 bushfires, the 2020 Brisbane floods, and a global pandemic, the unwavering support and belief from our participants and collaborators became our constant.”
— Arun Ketsirat
Director, Producer and Cinematographer
PTSD Love Stories is more than a film; it’s a national conversation to shift perceptions, reduce stigma, and build a community of care around those who hold our communities together. We believe PTSD Love Stories will help save lives. Join us. Let’s make this campaign possible by supporting us in finalising three urgent resources, alongside the marketing and administration needed to share the campaign widely through #CareForTheCarers:
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Community Screening Kit – shaped with input from carers, veterans, first responders and mental health networks, including prompts, resource links and templates to support community-led screenings.
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Study Guide – developed with ATOM and aligned with the Australian Curriculum, this Year 12 resource explores trauma, stigma, caregiving and identity, distributed nationally to schools.
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Campaign Website – more than an information page, this will be a central hub guiding audiences from inspiration to action. After watching the film, people will be directed to tailored resources and services for carers, veterans, emergency service workers and the wider public.
After our half-hour ABC Compass broadcast reached over 465,000 viewers (plus 9,000+ streams on iView), the feature-length version premiered to a sold-out Brisbane cinema and 200+ online attendees, with carers, veterans and first responder families describing it as “deeply moving”, “empowering” and “educational”. As a former wife of a Vietnam veteran, reflected:
“Back then, we didn’t have the language or support to talk about what we were living through. Watching PTSD Love Stories brought back many memories, but it also gave me a sense of hope. I only wish a film like this existed when my kids were younger.”
— Christine Maconachie, teacher and former wife of a Vietnam War Veteran
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