The Purple Heart

Two men, two generations, one code of honor.

Kionte Storey, born in Stockton, California, enlisted in the Marines to serve his country. He deployed to Iraq and then Afghanistan, where he was severely wounded when he stepped on an IED during a reconnaissance mission in Helmand Province.

Alfred Catania, a Sicilian-American, landed first-wave on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, was severely wounded in the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, and stayed in the Army serving in Vietnam, perhaps the cruelest of all wars.

Two men linked by war and their Purple Hearts with a story to tell.

"The Purple Heart" is a very personal project, directed by film industry veteran and tech maven, Cirina Catania, a former Hollywood studio executive and one of the co-founders of the Sundance Film Festival. 

She is very proud of the fact that she is the daughter of an Army officer, as she says, an "Army Brat."

Cirina runs Catania Studios, traveling the globe to capture great stories about great people. She is the current host of OWC RADiO where you can listen to over 100 interviews with some of the world's most interesting and dynamic people. 

Find out more about Cirina and see some of her photography and videography work here.

Cirina Catania, Writer/Director/Producer

Larry O'Connor, Executive Producer

Craig Ratcliffe, Camera Op, Stockton

Michael Brueggemeyer, Camera, HFOT

Steve Carson, Asst Editor

Alicia David, PA-Research

Luis Barretto, BCam Pt. Loma

(full credits coming soon)

Interviewees:

Kionte Storey, Marine

Paula Williams, Kionte's Mother

Nancy Jacobs, Kionte's Sister

Derrick, Ripoyla, Friend, Fellow Marine

Nic Harsey, Marine, Helmand Province