Diary of a Disgraced Soldier

A look at the controversial film 'Diary of a Disgraced Soldier'
Louise Walter

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Beatings film soldier relives war

Three years ago Corporal Martin Webster from Cornwall was at the centre of a media scandal.

It emerged that he had filmed fellow soldiers appearing to beat Iraqi civilians during Operation Telic 3 in 2004.

He was arrested by military police but charges against him were dropped. He subsequently resigned from the army.

Now the cameras have turned on him.

A documentary about his post-military life under the spectre of that video has been released and will have its first public viewing at the 2009 Cornwall Film Festival.

Martin uses art to channel his feelings

"Diary of a Disgraced Soldier" is an uncomfortable watch. Using a combination of Martin's self-shot video diaries and interviews with the film crew, it's honest to the point of being brutal.

The story follows his progress over two years, from the day he leaves the army.

His attempt to adjust to post-military life in the shadow of the Al Amarah video proves painful and difficult, particularly while he has to battle with Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

At points he is on the brink of suicide. Homeless, he moves into a barn saying he needs to be alone to go through a cleansing process.

The PTSD almost causes him to have a split personality. He talks of Martin, the normal guy, and Webby, who does all the mouthing off and unpleasant behaviour.

"It's like I'm constantly controlling a demon," he says in the film.

As well as having to reconcile his behaviour with himself, Martin also has to fit back into his home society in Cornwall. His old head teacher visits one of Martin's art exhibitions and there's some discomfort on both sides as he asks what happened to his former pupil.

"Perhaps my true character came out there. Perhaps I am an evil person, I don't know," Martin says to him.

Martin Webster today is a calmer person. He's found ways to cope with his PTSD and uses music and art to channel his feelings.

Talking to the BBC, he's frank about his experiences.

Martin speaks to his old headmaster about the film

"When you're carrying around effectively the soul of a murderer, you need to learn how to cleanse your soul, how to come to terms with that.

"I wasn't amused at my behaviour or the way I'm speaking, but I understand now why I was acting like that."

The filmmakers, Ink Media Productions Ltd, were so passionate about Martin's journey that they shot the film in their own time, juggling their day jobs to accommodate filming and editing.

It's been an emotionally difficult journey for the three-man team, particularly as they've got to know Martin. Chris Rowe admits that "if we'd seen some of the video diary footage earlier, there's question marks if we'd have carried on. It's very intense."

The team were clear that they wanted to encourage a wider debate with the film.

"Society as a whole asks people to kill for a living, it asks them to go to unpleasant places and do unpleasant things," says Rich Atkinson. "And when society gets a glimpse of some of the nicer things that go on out there, we have a problem with that".

For them it was important to tell Martin's story.

"You may still after watching this not agree with what Martin and the soldiers he was working with did in that situation, but at least you will have some insight into how they felt on the ground," Chris says.

There's already been much public interest in the film. The Cornwall Film Festival has had to put on a second screening due to high demand.