The Blood of My Brother: A Story of Death in Iraq (2005)

Director:

Andrew Berends

Genre:

Documentary | War

Plot:

While volunteering to guard the ancient mosque in Kadhimiya, Ra'ad, an Iraqi portrait photographer, is shot and killed by an American patrol. His brother Ibrahim dreams of revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Baghdad | Iraq | Kadhimiya | Death | Iraq War

Awards:

1 win

Also Known As:

The Blood of My Brother (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

USA:90 min (original version)

Country:

USA | Iraq

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (RCA Sound System)

Filming Locations:

Iraq

Company:

Storyteller Productions

Movie Connections:

References "Pokémon" (1998)

The footage is better than the film

Although Andrew Berends was unable to piece together a compelling storyline from the footage he shot in Iraq, the footage often speaks for itself.

With incredible access into the lives of Iraqi Shiites during six crucial months in 2004, Berends shows scenes of turmoil from a variety of different perspectives -- the grieving family of a young man who was accidentally shot by US troops, an anti-American rally led by Moqtada al-Sadr, American soldiers on patrol, and Mehdi Army insurgents firing on the Americans. Many of the scenes are harrowing. Put together, these scenes don't add up to a comprehensive picture of Iraq that makes any sense, but this problem has plagued nearly all coverage of the Iraq War. The war itself makes very little sense.

Unfortunately, the film focuses too closely on Ibrahim, the younger brother of a slain Iraqi civilian. He's a petulant and unsympathetic figure, and it was probably a mistake to build a full-length feature film around his story. "Blood of My Brother" works best when Berends wades into the chaos of Baghdad's streets and lets the events speak for themselves.