BROTHERS OF THE WIND is an Austrian film, shot in 2015 and now finding it’s way to North America. It’s the kind of film you don’t see much of anymore, something my inner child thinks is not a good thing.
Lukas (Manuel Camacho) and his father Keller (Tobias Moretti THE DARK VALLEY) live a rustic life in the Austrian Alps. That life has however been touched by tragedy. Lukas’s mother was killed in a fire and he is distant and withdrawn. His father tries to act as though nothing is wrong and goes about his life as before.
One day Lukas finds a baby eagle pushed from its nest by it’s stronger brother. He names the bird Abel and raises it. He has to hide this from his father who’s a hunter and sees eagles as competition for the food he puts on the table. He eventually is discovered but by Danzer (Jean Reno LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, THE DOORMAN) the local Ranger. He helps Lukas raise Abel. And helps intervene in the conflict between father and son.
BROTHERS OF THE WIND was co-directed by Gerardo Olivares who has directed a mix of nature documentaries and feature films and Otmar Penker a documentary cinematographer making his feature debut. As you can imagine the real stars of the film are the eagles and the Alps themselves. The footage they recorded for the film is nothing short of spectacular. The shots of the various animals in the woods and of the mountains themselves are breathtaking.
The dramatic side of the film should appeal to younger viewers, and they are the film’s target audience. The script draws it’s parallels between Abel and Lukas nicely. Both have lost their mother. The death of the female eagle forces the father to leave them alone to hunt. Which results in Abel being pushed out. Lukas’s pushing out is more figurative, but he is happier alone in the abandoned house than in his own home.
BROTHERS OF THE WIND is the kind of film Disney used to frequently run on its network TV show THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY. Or that companies like Sunn-Classic sent out as family matinees. Like those, it should satisfy the kids, though adults watching along with them may want to keep a book handy.
BROTHERS OF THE WIND will be released by Epic Pictures Releasing via its Epic Family division in US theaters and on VOD June 19th, National American Eagle Day.