Mark Wynn as a boy with his stepfather
Mark as a S.W.A.T. officer in Nashville (1989)
This Is Where I Learned Not To Sleep
a documentary film by Anne de Mare & Kirsten Kelly
produced by Spargel Productions and Andrew W. Schwertfeger
executive producer Cindy Waitt
executive producer Gavin de Becker
projected festival release: Fall 2023
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 and wrestles with his family’s 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 and openly wrestling with the effects of trauma, 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.”
Bringing together the Producers, Impact Producers and Filmmakers from The Homestretch, Audrey & Daisy, Private Violence and Bully, this project brings a unique depth to the dialogue around police reform and challenges perceptions of violence against women and children.
Our continuing work on This Is Where I Learned Not To Sleep is made possible by the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention, Kind World Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, and The Chicago Media Project.