7. Blood Brother
One of the biggest critical hits at this year's Sundance, Blood Brother is a devastating documentary about Indian children living with AIDS, and the young American man who traveled there only to have his life changed forever. The premise is certainly ripe for criticism, that it will end up depicting the central figure, Rocky Braat, as a white saviour-type character, though director Steve Hoover's sensitive hand easily avoids such a reductive treatment, instead painting this beleaguered community in all of its anguish and, unexpectedly, all of its hope and uplift as well. It goes without saying that Blood Brother contains many harrowing scenes - namely one particularly upsetting glimpse of a child dying before our very eyes - though they are offset by the inherent humanism of the piece, both of the attitude to the situation the children generally have, and Rocky's admirable desire to do so much for his fellow people. Boasting an emotional kick comparable to the best narrative features, this is a documentary sure to court Oscar attention with the right distribution. Fantastic. Read my full review
here.
Release Info: Worldwide release dates TBA.