
Featured image: Justin Rain as John and Violet Cameron as Leah in Brother, I Cry. (Courtesy of Jessie Anthony.)
Brother, I Cry is a beautiful passion project by writer and director Jessie Anthony, and the film is a drama about a First Nations man, Jon (Justin Rain), who is struggling to overcome his addiction and avoid the multiple warrants out on him. With his family rallying behind him, he tries to overcome his demons.
Using claustrophobic, cinema verité shooting, Jessie’s film creates a film that traps us in this situation with Jon throughout the film. That’s one of the aspects we discuss in our conversation on my podcast The Filmcraziest Show. We talk about a lot of other aspects, like shooting the film on a lower budget, making the film feel universal to everywhere, talking about the casting and other aspects of herself that she’s put into this film. Find that conversation right below on YouTube, or download the audio here or listen below, as well.
If there’s anything in the conversation that makes you want to watch the film, Brother, I Cry is currently playing at the American Indian Film Festival, with info here; and the film will also be playing on November 20 at the L.A. Skins Fest, which can be found here. More release info will be updated here once it’s known.