Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 02 Oct only @ 18:00

Steve Hoover / USA / 2013 / 92 mins

Although the recent spate of American pornographic actors diagnosed with HIV affirms AIDs as a global issue, Blood Brother depicts how it affects those from a poorer background. When director Steve Hoover’s childhood best friend Rocky Braat, returns from India, he’s so struck by his experience volunteering in an HIV orphanage, he persuades Hoover to accompany him back there.

In many respects this is a beautiful and poignant film; the rural landscape framing the children’s dilapidated home. Hoover juxtaposes shots of joyous, inquisitive and (outwardly) healthy youngsters with the inevitable difficult times the infection causes, showing the two extremes fueling Braat’s motivation to help. However Hoover’s close relationship with Braat makes the film one-dimensional, too often focusing on Braat. When someone questions Braat’s purchase of pizza as taunting other locals, it’s skirted over, Hoover instead concentrating on Braat’s love life. There’s little information gleaned about the other orphanage workers or local villagers and the few children introduced to camera are used to display Braat’s close relationship with them. Camera angles and highly emotive music manipulates you into concentrating on Braat’s position as an altruistic humanitarian, which with no real discussion on HIV as wider problem soon becomes tiresome and repetitive. While Braat’s actions deserve plaudits, Hoover’s case study is too much about his friend, rather than the issues Braat is dealing with.

Showing as part of the Take One Action Film Festival 2013

Follow Callum on Twitter @CWMadge