On April 20, 1999, I was a freshman in Littleton High School, just 5 miles away from the Columbine High School massacre. Though, I was fortunate to not be affected directly, I carry vivid memories of the aftermath of the event. Naively, I wrote off the experience as a fluke -- an outlier in history that could not possibly repeat itself. Fast forward to 10 years later, after multiple successions of mass shootings from Pulse to Sandy Hook, I could not be more wrong.
These tragedies have become a social norm and we as a society have become desensitized. As a former volunteer EMT/firefighter, I know this feeling all too well. Initially, the first few calls are shocking to the system, but pretty soon the mind normalizes to the emotional trauma and numbs itself. Unbeknownst to ourselves, this perpetual cycle of self-numbing leads to long term damage, from alcoholism to suicide. In the United States, more first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty. The problem is growing.
The complicated relationship of Randall and Nijah serves as a microcosm of the current divided political climate and our struggle to coexist with each other. The audience will get to see an authentic representation of first responder life in the South that mainstream media rarely shows. En Route focuses on the long term ripple effects of a mass casualty incident through the eyes of those directly impacted. The film raises awareness on mental health issues amongst first responders and challenges how we look at and deal with national tragedies. Maybe by reminding people how it feels to be impacted, it will force us to question our humanity and inspire the conversations needed for change. Though, history has proven that people from all walks of life can unite in the face of tragedy, what happens when we have become desensitized to the pain?
