Blood Brother (2013)

Plot: The story of the graphic designer Rocky Braat who was so moved by the plight of young AIDS patients in India that he moved to the country to care for HIV-positive orphans.

My Review and Thoughts:

This is one of the most extraordinary, loving, heartbreaking tearjerking documentary that I have ever seen. 

It touches the heart and it sends the mind into an emotional torment and yet also in a beautiful way. To witness this young man give up his life in America to take care of these, beautiful children with HIV/AIDS is what true love is about. 


These children are abandoned, slowly dying, suffering and yet they so beautiful with smiles and love. They love Rocky with all their heart and he loves these children with all his heart. He is a true savior. He's a hero, a beautiful man to be able to do what he does.

I highly recommend this documentary for any person that wants to see something truly touching. Truly extraordinary. Truly peaceful and yet so sad but also beautiful at the same time.

This group of children need love, and compassion. These children who are sick need touching hands, love, and human companionship.

This documentary showcases Rocky giving his life to these children. You witness his every day life, you witness his darkest moments, emotional moments. You witness him taking care of these children that are falling apart and slowly wasting away. 

This was filmed by Rocky's friend Stephen who decided to come over and witness what his best friend does and it forever changed his life. This documentary forever changed my life. Viewing this film was a beautiful experience. An experience that touched my heart. I cried bitterly through this film.

This is a humbling documentary, it brings you down to earth. It makes you think and makes you question your petty wanted needs. These children suffer, seeking the medicine they need, the care they deserve. These children have been abandoned and we worry about what fashion is in and what Justin Bieber does.

It's truly, truly saddening this still happens today in this world. The suffering of innocent children, forgotten children. These children never asked for this and yet this documentary showcases the brutality of this disease. The brutality of society toward these people, truly shocking, truly mind-numbing, truly eye-opening, and heart touching. 

This holds nothing back in the graphic detail from the lesions, skin splitting open, the blood and mucus and the pain is unbearable for the viewer to watch. I think that's a problem with a lot of films that detail AIDS and other diseases. They sugarcoat it Hollywood style. It gets big movie stars, but when a real documentary comes out and showcases the brutality of this horrible murdering disease, it makes you think. 

This film truly brings you down to earth and it makes you contemplate. It makes you think. It makes you see that AIDS is a suffering disease and it does not discriminate, it kills horribly.

There is moments in this documentary that I closed my eyes. Just seeing the child laying in the hospital bed suffering with his blood coated lips and sealed eyes and the horrible lesions all over his body and yet Rocky, this wonderful, peaceful man, that struggles like all of us, but he cares. He's is not a saint. He has his bad days, but he's there. Rocky is there making a difference. He has his two hands and his arms hugging HIV or AIDS infested children; that he knows will die more or less. He's there hugging them, kissing them, feeding them, playing with them. He is a living saint, if you want to call him that. 

Rocky's hands, heart and soul function as modern Mother Teresa.

There are moments when he's taking care of the children's cuts and scrapes and bleeding boo-boos and yes he does not flinch, he takes them in his hands, he caresses them, he feels their need for companionship, their need for loving touch. They are not monsters. They are not the creatures under the bed. They have a horrible murdering disease, but the time that they are here on this Earth, they should be treated like human beings that they are.

In 2011, 2.8 million people had aids in India. I don't care what your lifestyle is, or what you do, no one deserves to die of this horrible disease. It shouldn't even be thought of, with these innocent children. They are the one's that are punished and destroyed. They should never have to deal with this unbearable disease. They should never be denied, the love, companionship and caring hands, while going through this horror.

What I like about this documentary is it touches on the human side of Rocky. The average everyday life of Rocky coming back to America to visit his friend. His personal family struggles. His daily walks. His humble little home. His marriage to a beautiful India lady. You see him suffering through illness. You see him sleeping. You see him angry. You see him cry. He is human, he's no different than you and I, but what makes him blessed, what makes him different, he is willing to caress, comfort and be there for the suffering children.

He could've easily boosted himself up and say "oh look what I am doing," or he could've showed off through pride. He could've wanted accolades, but no. Rocky is a humble man, a humble person with humbled needs.

In my book this makes him a true, true hero. The word hero is flawed this day and age. We say my hero is a football star. We say my hero is a music star. That's not a hero. A Hero is soldier on the front lines defending there nation. A hero is a person that steps in front of bullet for another person. A hero is donating food or clothes to the needy. A hero is a caring doctor or nurse, firefighter, or police persons. A hero is Rocky, who loves these children like they are his own.

Steve Hoover, Rocky's friend, set out to experience and see why his friend gave up everything in America. What he experiences is a life altering reality. He directed and created this stunningly beautiful heart wrenching portrait of Rocky, and the reality that is happening as you read this review.

It's a loving portrait of a film. A piece of fantastical art woven around the sadness and the atrocities of an unbearable disease, yet, as long as their are hands like Rocky and tears like Rocky's, there will be peace, love, caring and most of all companionship for these beautiful, amazing, lovable, children.

I wanted to hug, kiss, show love to these passionate and beautiful children. 

This is a must see, must own, must be talked about, must be spread to others. This is a flawless documentary. It is a masterpiece of heart wrenching and ultimately a truthful reality of life.