Columbia Journalism School announced that Shine Global’s short documentary Through Our Eyes: Homefront is one of the 30 Finalists of the 2023 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, all of whom produced outstanding public service audio and video reporting. The honorees covered the globe, from breaking news coverage of deadly international conflict in Ukraine and Afghanistan to impactful local and national investigations, exposing threats to national security and holding the powerful to account throughout the country.

“Journalists bear witness to critical events in our world, and this past year was no different,” said Lisa R. Cohen, Director of the duPont-Columbia Awards. “From war zones abroad to battlegrounds here at home on the abortion front, or divisive politics, or the fight for racial equity, reporters were there to let the public see too.”

The winners will be announced in early 2023. The duPont Awards ceremony will be held on February 7, 2023, the first in-person gathering in three years, at Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library.

In the US, more than three million children live in homes with service members and veterans who rely on caregiver support. In HOMEFRONT, three children of veteran families cope with the emotional impact of having a wounded parent, navigate the unique challenges of visible and invisible injuries sustained during military service, and together journey toward collective healing.

Gabby, Terry, and Luther all have parents who were injured while serving, and each family has found a way to heal the wounds of war. Homefront shows how Gabby (9), a fierce animal lover with a stock of chickens, rabbits, bees, and dogs, loves her family and faces her fears about her Dad’s traumatic brain injury and PTSD via equine therapy. Terry (10), an enthusiastic boy and his parents, Taniki and Brandon, share their experiences and mental health struggles as they work to heal and help each other cope with depression and PTSD through honest conversation and embracing joy. Luther (9) is a charismatic boy who wants to be “like my dad when I grow up.” His father, Joe, a Navy veteran who lost his leg in an IED explosion, struggles through chronic pain to put family first.

Produced by Sesame Workshop in association with Shine Global, Homefront is directed by Emmy Award-winning director Kristi Jacobson and produced by Alexandra Blaney and Netsanet Negussie.

Shine Global is also pleased to offer this free companion discussion guide to the Through Our Eyes: Homefront documentary for viewers to download.  The film is now available to watch on HBOMax as part of the Through Our Eyes documentary series from Sesame Workshop.

*You can download free curricula for Shine Global’s other films here.

Shine Global is an award-winning non-profit media company that gives voice to children and their families by sharing their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce inspiring films and compelling content about at-risk children. Through tailored distribution and outreach, we connect with our audiences in communities, classrooms, museums, and on capitol hill as part of a powerful engagement campaign to encourage social change.