Brother's Keeper (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Brother's Keeper ("My brother's keeper") |
| Original title | Brother's Keeper |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1992 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Joe Berlinger |
| production | Joe Berlinger Bruce Sinofsky |
| music | Molly Mason , Jay Ungar |
| camera |
Douglas Cooper Richard Hissong |
| cut |
Joe Berlinger Bruce Sinofsky |
| occupation | |
|
Delbert Ward, Lyman Ward, Roscoe Ward, et al. a. | |
Brother's Keeper (in German also “My Brother's Guardian”) is a documentary from 1992 that traces an alleged murder from 1990 . The film is made in the tradition of " Direct Cinema " based on the model of Albert and David Maysles , for whom the producers Berlinger and Sinofsky previously worked.
content
In the small town of Munnsville , a rural town near Syracuse , in New York State , four older brothers, William, Adelbert (called Delbert), Lyman, and Roscoe Ward live together in a rundown old farmhouse. All four have no school education, can barely read, write and work on farmland that has been family-owned for generations.
One morning, William, the eldest, is found dead in his bed. He had been sick for a long time. His brother Delbert is then accused of suffocating him with a pillow in his sleep. Either because he wanted to spare him further suffering, or because there had been an argument between the two brothers who slept together in one bed after homosexual acts.
Delbert signs a written confession with the New York State Police . The prosecutor from the city rises indictment. However, people in the ward firmly believe in Delbert's innocence, having known the Ward brothers for decades. You support his defense .
The defense attorney argues in court that William died of natural causes. Delbert, who had an IQ of 68, was forced by the police to sign something that he can neither read nor understand.
In the end, Delbert is acquitted .
The film exposes the conflict between the provincial rural population and the urban metropolitan society and their opposing view of things in the USA . In addition to the court case against Delbert Ward, the second level of the film also deals with the problems of a small fringe community that is struggling to survive because their land is gradually being bought up by investors and the original structure of the community is being destroyed.
The further fate
After the actual shooting was over, the film's producers drove with the three Ward brothers to New York, where they always wanted to go. Actually, the scenes in New York were supposed to close the documentary. However, the final cut was decided against.
Delbert Ward died on August 6, 1998 at the age of 67 in Cooperstown . The cause of death was not known. Roscoe Ward died on June 23, 2007. He was 88 years old. Lyman Ward passed away at 85 on August 15, 2007.
title
The title "Brother's Keeper" is taken from the Book of Genesis in the Bible . God asks Cain , “Where is your brother Abel ?” Cain replies, “I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper ? "
Awards
- Directors Guild of America, USA: DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary / Actuality
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards: KCFCC Award for Best Documentary
- National Board of Review, USA: NBR Award for Best Documentary
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards: NYFCC Award for Best Documentary
- Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award for Documentary
Nominations
- Sundance Film Festival : Grand Jury Prize for Documentary
Reviews
"Brother's Keeper," the best documentary of the year, has an effect and a directness that many fictional film stories should envy. It tells an impressive story, and some passages are inspiring, as the neighbors of Munnsville decide that Delbert must not be run over by an ambitious prosecutor who is more important to conviction than to understand the facts. "
Web links
- Brother's Keeper in the Internet Movie Database (English)
swell
- ^ Adelbert Ward obituary
- ↑ Roscoe Ward dies (includes documentary trailer)
- ↑ 'The Ward Boys' are now just one after Roscoe's death ( Memento of the original from February 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Lyman Ward, 85, Last of 4 Brothers, Dies
- ↑ Lyman Ward obituary ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Review by Roger Ebert
