The Purple Heart

Decorated with the purple heart, Private Stephen F. Gorman returns home from the war struggling with the death of Billy, the brother of his soon-to-be-fiancée. Not only does he blame himself for the death, but his future mother-in-law does too.

  • Jacob Woodward
    Director
  • Jacob Haynes Woodward
    Writer
  • Katerina Therese Gerlach
    Producer
  • Lasse Engel
    Key Cast
    "Stephen Gorman"
  • Vicky Dawson
    Key Cast
    "Mrs. Godfrey"
  • Georgia Gould
    Key Cast
    "Frances Godfrey"
  • Donal Meath
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Godfrey"
  • Robert Allen
    Key Cast
    "Private Bradley"
  • Nicholas Haren
    Key Cast
    "Private Billy"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    World War II, Drama, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 24, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - John Paul the Great University
  • Lyons International Film Festival
    Lyons, Colorado
    United States
    April 29, 2023
    Best Short Story - Fiction Drama
Director Biography - Jacob Woodward

Jacob Woodward is a young filmmaker who lives in Colorado. He graduated from John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego with a degree in production and screenwriting. He won the Cinematic Arts Award at graduation for the films he made while attending the University.

He strives to create films that touch the depth of the human heart through emotion and connection. He most enjoys telling stories in the genres of thriller, drama, and horror as he loves the cinematic languages that these genres offer.

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Director Statement

Purple Heart is a film about grief, shame, loss, but most importantly, it is about forgiveness. I wasn't always sure what this film meant to me. I always knew the purple heart Stephen wore on his jacket represented his arc as a character, but at first I thought he needed to realize the sacrifice Billy's death was. It wasn't until the second or third draft that I realized the medal represented the shame that Stephen had to overcome. That was the same moment that I realized this was a story about me.