Determined

Jennifer Polansky stars in this courageous true story of a young Canadian woman who is kidnapped and brutally raped. The experience is so frightening that she begs her assailants to kill her. After 12 long hours her captors inexplicably let her go, but this is just the beginning of her nightmare. Mentally scarred and told by her doctor she may never be able to bear children, Melissa (Jennifer Polansky) must face the shame, embarrassment, and guilt that now encompass both her family and herself. As each family member attempts to help her in their own way, Melissa's stability and relationship with her family becomes increasingly stressed. An addiction to painkillers then threatens to destroy not only their family, but Melissa in the process. The story is told five years later with Melissa recounting her struggle with a young reporter -who may or may not have also experienced abuse- of how she found the inner strength within herself to regain control of her life. Told from the perspective of a real victim, this film seriously examines the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and champions the power of the human spirit to conquer all.