Available Now on the PBS YouTube Channel (Link Below)
Brother is an experimental, short, animated documentary that takes audiences inside filmmaker Joanna Rudnick’s intimate phone calls with her brother during a period of his remission from heroin addiction. Their nonlinear conversation paints a detailed, uncensored picture of one person’s story of addiction—tracing back to the pain of a debilitating learning disability, followed by years lived on the hamster wheel of relapse and recovery under the stigmatizing shadow of a society that views substance use and dependence as a moral failing.
This personal narrative is a universal story experienced by millions of families living with opioid addiction every day. In Rudnick’s telling, the story crosses between past and present, fantasy and reality, documentary and narrative, and the bonds and boundaries that pull families apart.
Brother was made possible with support from the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Fork Films. We owe an incredible debt to the actor Lance Barber, who skillfully and with all of his heart and soul portrayed Matt Rudnick in the film. You can watch the full film on the PBS YouTube channel.
Joanna is currently in pre-production on the second two episodes following Brother, which together will form the THE OPIOID TRILOGY series.
