A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
I’m Vero, and I’m a 100% diabled US veteran. The idea for this documentary came from the current narrative of veterans today.
Much of the public conversation around veteran transition centers on how military skills translate into civilian careers, which is why many join the service. Leadership becomes management. Logistics becomes corporate operations. Technical roles move seamlessly from bases to airports, shipping hubs, or private contractors. For many veterans, this path makes sense and offers stability and continuity.
But this is only one version of transition.
Not all veterans are seeking to replicate their military roles in civilian institutions. For some, leaving service is not about translation but about transformation. How I see it, this film exists in this parallel space. This film does not reject education, career continuity, or institutional pathways. Instead, it broadens the narrative to include veterans whose post service lives are shaped by curiosity, experimentation, and self determination. Some veterans become artists, musicians, healers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. Some move toward community based work, alternative economies, environmental stewardship, or creative practice. Others build lives that prioritize autonomy, wellness, and meaning over traditional markers of success. Their paths are often nonlinear and less visible, but no less intentional.
These veterans are not asking how to do the same work in a different uniform. They are asking who they are without one.
Vero
My Approach
Unconventional Veterans follows a clear and disciplined production approach shaped by lived military experience.
The crew is primarily composed of veterans. This is intentional and non negotiable. Working with a veteran crew creates trust, shared language, and an understanding of boundaries. The project complies with its own values by paying crew their standard professional rates and maintaining clear roles, expectations, and respect for labor.
Production is run and gun by design. Filming is touch and go, efficient, and adaptable. We rely on experienced specialists rather than large crews, allowing us to move quickly, stay unobtrusive, and capture real moments as they happen. Simplicity is prioritized over scale.
Outreach is veteran centered. This is a veterans documentary made by a veteran. Investment and support are sought from veterans and allies who believe in independent, veteran led storytelling and understand the importance of narratives that extend beyond institutional definitions of success.