TAKES A DIFFERENT LOOK AT WAR:
LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT

Short Film Competes at Sundance Film Festival

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - One Weekend A Month is Eric Escobar’s exploration of a topic that is very close to his heart, that of a parent who goes off to war. Though both of his parents returned from Vietnam before his birth, the effect that war had on them has been everlasting. Eric’s father is a terminally ill combat veteran, suffering from the effects of Agent Orange poisoning and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In fact, he donated a portion of his monthly government settlement check toward the making of this film. One Weekend A Month is about the cost of war. Eric made this film not only because of his ties to Vietnam, but for those soldiers and their families who continue to shoulder the cost of war with Iraq.

Meg McDermott (Reneé O’Connor) is a busy single mom juggling time spent in the National Guard and time spent caring for her two young children. The film begins on a typical crazy Monday morning as Meg gets her children ready for school. She receives a phone call that changes her life. A friend informs her that her National Guard unit will be activated for duty in Iraq in two weeks. This begins the ride that is the film. We witness Meg unravel as she struggles through a series of phone calls to figure out who will take care of her children. She cannot turn to her friends, the fathers of her children or her mother. What will she do?

Many women in America turn to the National Guard not only to express their patriotism but also to obtain extra income or education. Rarely do they think that one day they would be sent to war. Their childcare problems are only exacerbated by a long-term deployment. Meg represents these women.

Statistics show that over 24,000 single mothers are currently in active duty and 40% of the troops in Iraq are National Guard or Army Reserve. The plight of these women and their children are real. One Weekend A Month is a film that brings to light this frightening scenario that women across America are facing today.

Many “war films” are about combat. One Weekend A Month explores a different side of war – what happens to families on the home front. Eric is in the process of expanding this short study into a feature film surrounding the issues of Meg’s life once she returns home.

One Weekend A Month attracted actress Reneé O’Connor best known for her co-starring role on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess. The film has an original soundtrack written and performed by Emily Saliers, one-half of the legendary folk-rock duo, “The Indigo Girls.”