Real-life story of love, war and creating family
This summer, San Rafael’s neurodivergent nonprofit organization, Autistry Studios, is hosting a screening of Out From the Ashes, a must-see documentary made and experienced by a Marin County local who just so happens to be a famous cartoonist, writer and, now, war hero.
Out From the Ashes is a feature documentary following the true story of a Ukrainian woman named Milena who, along with her mother, her grandmother and her cat, fought to survive and escape the Russian invasion of their homeland. The film depicts an intimate, authentic and inspiring glimpse into the human condition, sharing just how close to home seemingly faraway tragedies can strike.
The writer of Out From the Ashes, Ken Pontac, is a renowned local cartoonist who knows Milena well and considers her as his surrogate daughter. Within just a couple of days of the Ukrainian invasion, Pontac received a message from Milena saying that she and her family were huddled in her building’s basement, seeking shelter from the brutality of the Russian invasion and active bombing taking place above.
“[Milena] says they’re bombing the building, the walls are shaking, I’m scared…and then nothing,” recounted Pontac. “For a month, maybe more, I kept checking and checking and checking. Then she texted saying she’s alive, but she’s a prisoner.”
Pontac did the only reasonable thing a person can do in a situation such as that—he set out to free Milena and her family from their imprisonment in a Russian “filtration” camp.
“Spoiler alert: I got her out of there,” said Pontac.
“I’ve got a lot of political friends…and I contacted one friend who wants to remain nameless,” Pontac continued. “I knew she’d helped refugees out of Palestine…and she’d said to me she promised herself she’d never do this again, but she said because it’s you who is asking, I’m going to help you. We started working together to get [Milena] out, first out of this wretched filtration camp.”
Before orchestrating the escape of his surrogate daughter, Pontac spent 40 years building an impressive career in writing for famously popular cartoons like Gumby, Happy Tree Friends, Bump in the Night and more.
“Forty years of being a cartoonist prepared me to save family from a Russian prison,” Pontac said wryly.
Although Pontac has mastered the art of injecting humor into almost everything he says, the sentiment behind these tongue-in-cheek lines rings true, and the poignance is not lost in the wit. Pontac went on to explain the ripple effect of how writing cartoons taught him to tap into what he considers to be the most important thing in life—the people with whom we connect.
“When I talk to high school students, I tell them that people are the most important thing,” Pontac explained. “I’m definitely at the gravitational force level with the people I know, which is what allowed me to [rescue Milena].”
Before using his connections to conduct rescue missions from Russian prison, Pontac utilized this skill in networking throughout his career. He attributes his success (in part) to the people he met throughout his life who helped pave the way for countless opportunities, first in cartoons and then in matters of life and death.
“That concept goes on and on and on and, to me, that’s the most important thing, and that’s why I love working at Autistry,” Pontac said. “[Autistry] was my life preserver…and once I was there, it was like a spiritual transfusion, and now I feel better than ever. They gave me that. It’s more than a community—it’s a family.”
“Autistry draws people in off the street because they sense the vibe, and they can’t help but walk in, and then they are immediately smitten,” Pontac added.
At its core, Autistry is an organization that strives to provide a space for neurodivergent individuals to find their stride and thrive in life. Alongside offering a plethora of services, workshops and more, Autistry is also set to host the much-anticipated screening of Out From the Ashes on June 25.
“The experience [depicted in Out From the Ashes] took an enormous toll on me,” Pontac said. “I only feel good about it now, but it will stay with me for the rest of my life. My wife is a nurse (retired now, thankfully). In the first week of our relationship, I asked how many lives she thinks she saved, and she looked at me like it was the dumbest question in the world and said, ‘I don’t know, hundreds?’”
“I didn’t really understand what that felt like, but now I know it’s kind of a heavy thing,” Pontac continued. “I make cartoons…before this happened, I felt like I had done my share and had done the right things and was making a difference. But it’s a whole different level of positive interaction and helping to be the change to save somebody’s life in such a complicated way.”
Without giving away too many spoilers, the story of Milena’s escape is nothing short of epic, and Out From the Ashes paints a vivid, evocative picture of reality.
“One of the reasons that there’s a documentary about this is because, when Milena and I were talking back and forth [during her imprisonment], I told her, ‘You have to win an Oscar for this; pretend to be a good Russian,’” Pontac said. “When she was imprisoned there on the gymnasium floor with all the Covid-sick people around her, we were trying to keep her spirits up, and we framed it all around the future when [she’d] be free. She said we’d have to write a book when she got free. And who would play who, I asked? We would play ourselves, she said.”
In a world saturated with stories of human suffering, knowing how to make a difference as an individual can be challenging. But when people and communities come together to support and sometimes even save each other, it sparks one of life’s most precious resources—hope.
To watch the trailer for Out From the Ashes and learn more about the documentary and the people who made it, visit the website at outfromtheashes.film. Donations, for those inclined, are more than welcome.
The Autistry 4th Street Maker Incubator is located at 850 4th St. in San Rafael. Anyone curious about this local neurodivergent safe space may visit the website at autistrystudios.com or come by in person for the ‘Out From the Ashes’ screening, which will take place at 4 and 7pm, June 25. The screening is free to attend, though anyone who wishes may show up with a fundraising spirit.
