By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
A Lincoln County native and U.S. Army veteran who made a documentary that is meant to display the reality of veteran suicide, is on tour around the state and stopped by Salina to showcase the film.
Gary Otte, who filmed 'Saving 22' is a documentary that displays stories told by U.S. Military Veterans and families was shown at the VFW Post 1432 on Sunday. According to Otte, the name of the film comes from a Veteran Affairs (VA) study stating that approximately 22 U.S. Military Veterans take their own lives everyday. However, Otte has stated this number has changed after various studies overtime.
Otte served in the U.S. Army for 8 years and has been a longtime filmmaker. Before he even started filming the documentary, Otte spent some time in Billings, Montana after he was presented of the idea to make 'Saving 22.' Montana is the birthplace where Otte filmed the documentary back in 2020.
Otte described that one of his motivating factors of making the film, was that he went through 'mental battles' after his service from the Army. He then sought a therapist and realized the 'big problem' that veterans face after their time of service.
"When I got the opportunity to make the movie, it just opened my eyes to everything," said Otte.
the 1 1/2 hour documentary, stages interviews from several different veterans and families of veterans describing their stories of the everyday battles they face mentally after service. Otte was able to get the support from several different nonprofits and companies to sponsor his film, with two of them being a veteran fitness center where he currently works at in Montana "Adaptive Performance Center" (APC) and "Feeling in Colors," which is ran by Trish Grant (certified Therapeutic Art Life Coach) who personally met Otte during the making of the film in Montana.
When Otte finished the film, he had the idea to showcase the film as a tour back in his home state of Kansas. He also brought along Grant, who is sponsoring the film through Feeling in Colors, as she conducts paintings that are 'therapeutic' during the tourstops. Throughout the tour, a network of healthcare professionals and resources that benefit the overall health of veterans are present at the film's showing location.
Otte stated that the film's goal is to 'eliminate veteran suicide.' Grant and Otte commented that one of the biggest solutions that prevent veteran suicide is through fellowship.
"When I got out of the military, I had no idea how to comprehend what I had just gone through," said Otte. "What I learned is that as a veteran, what gets us through things is that we have to get together."
"Community connection is key since everybody has that sense of togetherness and people will be more aware of each other's issues," said Grant.
Otte has plans to make the 'Saving 22' documentary a national tour. All proceeds collected from admission of the film and sponsors go towards Otte's nonprofit "Complete the Mission," which is an organization that supports veterans.
Dates of the Kansas tour are listed as of today:
7/18 - Wichita
7/20 - Dodge City
7/27 - Goodland
8/1 - Salina
8/2,3 - Lincoln
TBD: Great Bend, Topeka and Fort Scott
Admission is $10 and includes a tax-write off.
"After you watch Saving 22, I want you feel like you can knock down every wall because you can," said Otte. "We do not give ourselves enough credit, we are so amazingly strong, gifted and whatever we want to do we will accomplish."
Otte and Grant will be at Speakeasy in Salina (2030 S. Ohio St.) on Saturday, July 19 doing a 50/50 raffle for 'Saving 22.'
For more information about 'Saving 22' go to: https://www.acastleonahillproductions.com/saving-22-documentary
You can also follow 'Saving 22' Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1353061889094080
Follow the Feeling in Colors Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/feelingincolors