This is Where I Learned Not to Sleep

Part quest for justice. Part journey towards healing. Decorated Nashville cop Mark Wynn wrestles with his own violent childhood while working to reform decades of domestic violence mishandling, cover-ups, and abuse from deep within law enforcement. “I lived with a monster. I know how this works.” Lt. Mark Wynn challenges fellow police officers to end generations of disregard and systemic failures around domestic violence. While training officers in rural Texas, Mark revisits his childhood home for the first time since he escaped as a child and confronts his family’s traumatic past. How was he able to break the cycle of violence that traps so many men?

With access to sensitive police trainings, the film explores the complex relationship between police and family violence. By revealing his own haunting childhood, Mark challenges other men to stand up and reform the system to better help women and children. “Men create 98% of these crimes – it’s up to us to stop the violence.” This film brings a unique depth to the dialogue around police reform and challenges perceptions of violence against women and children.

“Neither Wynn nor the documentary’s treatment shy away from the harsh realities or complexities of domestic violence…. The framing of these realities and complexities through the lens of Wynn’s life creates a compelling call to men to take the lead in the reform.”  – Maya Galicia-Canto, Domestic Violence Report

Presented in partnership with Peace House as part of the Reel Community Series. Post-film panel discussion with Katherine Aguilera, Associate Director at Peace House, McKenzie Gardner, Forensic Interviewer at Children’s Justice Center at Summit and Wasatch Counties and Park City Police Sergeant Danielle Snelson.