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Ibrahim al-Azawi, Sayid Moqtada al-Sadr

Andrew Berends' documentary The Blood of My Brother attempts to bring the viewer inside the world of the Iraqi people fighting against the U.S.-led invasion of their country. The main focus of the fil... read more read more...m is Ibrahim, a teenager who must become his family's provider after his older brother is killed while guarding a religious building. He feels great anger toward the Americans and strives for revenge, but he must also confront the realities of caring for his other family members. The filmmakers also spend time with the Medhi Army, one of the insurgent groups in Iraq. The Blood of my Brother had its North American premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Flixster Users

58% liked it

1,038 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

21 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Andrew Berends

Release Date: June 30, 2006

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DVD Release Date: November 7, 2006

Stats: 43 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (43)

  • RblWthACoz
    January 10, 2008
    RblWthACoz
    Certainly impactful at times. But just seemed a bit too basic in its delivery, and also misleading. See all the deleted scenes to see what was really going on in the family. It was obviously a willful decision to ignore the fact that this Iraqi young guy was letting his family do... read morewn by hitting the race tracks and playing video games as opposed to staying at his shop to make money to feed the family. Instead, the director chose to make it appear as if the evil American occupancy just wrecked this family's life (not negating the fact that it is the truth) and nothing could be done to stop it. It would have been much more interesting to see the full depth of what was really going on. Shame on the director for taking such an amateur angle on things. It's easy to make things look bad when you want it to, but sometimes it's not easy to tell the truth.

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Critic Reviews

Janice Page
August 12, 2006
Janice Page, Boston Globe

Berends's documentary works for the most part because it has a fresh point of view and worthwhile things to say about the individual value of overlooked masses in a war zone. Full Review

Bill Stamets
July 7, 2006
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times

Imparts a you-are-there atmosphere that's increasingly scarce as Western journalists retreat. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
June 30, 2006
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

A film that's by turns touching, infuriating, heartbreaking and confusing -- much like the war itself. And unlike much of what we've seen before. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
June 30, 2006
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Despite some remarkable unembedded footage, Andrew Berends' is yet another disappointingly superficial, unfocused and one-sided documentary on the conflict in Iraq.

Jack Mathews
June 30, 2006
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

It makes you rue the most indelicate of all combat euphemisms -- 'collateral damage.' Full Review

Nathan Lee
June 29, 2006
Nathan Lee, New York Times

From the filmmaker Andrew Berends comes another documentary about the occupation of Iraq, but this time the story is told from the Iraqi point of view.

Joshua Land
June 27, 2006
Joshua Land, Village Voice

The subtitle, A Story of Death in Iraq, concisely captures its core subject: the brute facts of grief, suffering, and death in wartime. Full Review

Leslie Felperin
June 8, 2006
Leslie Felperin, Variety

Made with access to the Mehdi Army and embittered citizens the Western news media -- or even the CIA -- might envy, producer-helmer-lenser Andrew Berends creates a revealing insight into the war in Ir... Full Review

Frank Scheck
June 8, 2006
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Blood contains enough startling and provocative footage to more than justify its theatrical exposure.

Christopher Campbell
September 18, 2007
Christopher Campbell, Cinematical

The action is so consciously real that at one point when a bullet could be seen coming towards one side of the camera I flinched to the other side of my seat. Full Review

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