Twenty-two year old Corporal Jonathan Santos had documented his 37 days of military service in Iraq in a personal dairy before a roadside bomb took his life and the lives of several of his friends and servicemen on October 15, 2004. Jonathan’s mother, Doris, wasn’t aware that her son had kept a diary until his Tuff Box™ - a soldier’s chest filled with their most valuable items - was sent to her after his death. Upon opening the box, she discovered his “little green book” and a stack of videocassettes on which he had recorded daily life in Iraq.

When Doris is finally able to bring herself to watch the tapes, she finds images of Jonathan’s arrival in Iraq, pictures from a cousin’s wedding he was able to attend while on leave, and scenes of Jonathan laughing and joking with his Army buddies - including Private Matthew Drake, one of Jonathan’s best friends who was the sole survivor of the attack in which Jonathan was killed. The record of Jonathan’s final few weeks, in which he expresses fears and doubts never voiced to his family in person, is at once inspiring, personal and profound.

Both an affecting story of courage and a universal tribute to soldiers everywhere, The Corporal’s Diary follows Doris’ journey as she moves beyond her pain to meet with the families of others who have lost loved ones in the war. Together they share stories, offer comfort and pay tribute to the lives of the brave young servicemen and women who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq.

 2008 | 60 minutes | video

Theatrical Dates:

* Seattle, WA . Seattle Central Library . Sept. 23, 2008
* Seattle, WA . The Grand Illusion Cinema . Sept. 26 - Oct.2, 2008
* Tacoma, WA . Grand Cinema . Oct. 6, 2008 (Tacoma Film Festival)
* Bellingham, WA . Pickford Cinema . Oct. 15 & 16, 2008
* Bellingham, WA . Pickford Cinema . Nov. 1, 2008
* Portland, OR . Whitsell Auditorium (Portland Art Museum) . Nov. 9, 2008

Winner! ‘Most Powerful Documentary’
- Seattle True Independent Film Festival, 2008

Reviews:

“With neither political slant nor ulterior motive, the film communicates the personal cost of war in such intimate terms that the viewer becomes more an empathetic mourner than observer.”
-Bill White, SEATTLE P.I.

“..the film [has] a sense of profound hopefulness.”
-Tom Keogh, SEATTLE TIMES

“..a moving meditation on the men we send to war, those that don’t come back, and what they leave behind.”
-Ian Chant, CASCADIA WEEKLY

“Footage shot by soldier makes for compelling film.”
-Robert Horton, EVERETT HERALD

“The message rings clear: the victims of the Iraq War go beyond casualties on the field, and we can’t forget that.”
- Athima Chansanchai, SEATTLE P.I.

Winning Pictures has developed two accompanying resources to the film: a Teacher’s Guide and a Student’s Guide. Both are available in English for free and can be downloaded below.

Download the Teacher’s Guide to help you organize classroom discussion about The Corporal’s Diary. Download the Teacher’s Guide
Download the Student’s Guide to help expand your classroom discussion about The Corporal’s Diary. Download the Student’s Guide