By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Heinz Bütler
Country: iraq, united_states
Year: 2006
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488873/
Bruce says: “As Andrew Berends describes his film, ‘The primary objective of THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER is to illustrate the infinite ripples of grief that follow the tragic killing of even just one person.’ When Ra’ad, an Iraqi photographer is gunned down by American soldiers while guarding the giant mosque in Kadhimiya, his young brother Ibrahim is left to head a family and take over his photography shop. Caught between devastating sorrow and the overwhelming desire for revenge, Ibrahim has to care for his mother and sister. But he is not up to the task of taking care of anyone in spite of support from friends and family. He would like to kill every American and Jew in spite of knowing they are all not bad people.
“THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER makes its points but leaves the viewer without hope to combat the depressing story, a story involving many, many wrongs with few, if any, rights – and that includes actions of both Americans and Iraqis. The Muslim world is captured as a culture couched in homilies
and motivated by mass psychology. Facts, strategy and compromise are not a part of any equation in Iraq according to what Berends has filmed. There are no visible signs of rebuilding Iraq. Berends’ camera (he is also the cinematographer) travels through many of Bagdad’s neighborhoods where he finds American helicopters hovering, tanks roaming and foot soldiers patrolling. The streets, sidewalks and many buildings have been reduced to rubble. The camera jostles about during moments of crossfire, capturing the state of confusion and disorientation.
“Killing is everywhere. Protesters are shot in the streets. A sheep is slaughtered on camera as a sacrifice, a compensation for Ra’ad’s death. Fish are killed and roasted on screen. Corpses get more screen time than institutions such as schools or hospitals, although the camera strolls through one hospital ward showing the mutilated bodies of the war victims. One American soldier describes how his best buddy was disemboweled before his eyes; another soldier puts it bluntly, ‘You have to kill them before they kill you.’ A seemingly endless cycle of hatred and despair has begun. It is a lashing out – a lust for retribution – not a frantic cry for help. Revenge is on everyone’s mind. One man states, ‘I will never quit until I earn my martyrdom. That’s
what we all want.’ 3.5 cats”