This six-part cable TV series (two episodes per weekly telecast) endeavored to put a human face on Operating Enduring Freedom, the American military action assembled after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. With full cooperation from the Pentagon, producer R.J. Cutler (the same person responsible for the Oscar-winning documentary The War Room) handed out video cameras to selected participants in the Operation, telling each person to turn on those cameras for 15 minutes each day and record a living diary. Following Cutler's guidelines, the diarists were instructed to explore such abstracts as "Why do I care?," "What does it mean to me?" and "How does it affect my life?," focusing on such concrete topics as their favorite music, their current living space, their past and present military experiences, their goals and ambitions, and their romantic lives. The on-camera subjects recorded their musings at four different locations: Afghanistan, Kuwait, Camp Pendleton, and the U.S.S. Stennis. Military Diaries debuted May 27, 2002, over the VH1 cable network.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
- Soldier
- Music
- Military Life
