Official Trailer for ‘Brother Orange’ Documentary About Two Friends
by Alex Billington
December 17, 2024
Source: YouTube
“This is a true story. About identity.” Gravitas has revealed the official trailer for a documentary film called Brother Orange directed by the filmmaker Abe Forman-Greenwald. This doc is officially Brother Orange: The Movie, a whole film based on the actual story of what happened when a BuzzFeed writer had his phone stolen. Many may remember this, as writer Matt Stopera covered it all extensively in a series of articles published from 2014 to 2015. His stolen iPhone ended up in China where it was rebought by a guy who was taking photos of himself in front of an orange tree. Matt flew over there to meet him, became friends with him (“Brother Orange” aka Li Hongjun) and the rest is history. But there’s also so much more to it than that. As their 10-year friendship anniversary nears, this extraordinary true story showcases the power of personal connection between two ordinary people-one American and one Chinese-who look beyond political tensions to form a profound bond. This actually looks wonderful – I’m glad they turned this story into a doc to watch.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Abe Forman-Greenwald’s doc Brother Orange, from YouTube:
In 2014, BuzzFeed writer Matt Stopera’s phone was stolen from a bar in New York City. One year later, photos of storefronts and a man next to an orange tree mysteriously appeared in his iPhoto stream. Matt wrote an article about it, and overnight, it went viral in China, where internet users identified the man as “Brother Orange.” Invited to visit China, Matt became an instant celebrity, and as media followed their every move, he and Brother Orange formed a deep friendship that transcended cultural and language barriers. When Brother Orange visited Matt in the US, Matt felt compelled to reveal his full self by doing what scared him the most – coming out to his new friend. Years later, after enduring the pandemic apart, Brother Orange recorded a hopeful video message, expressing his wish to reunite once again. Brother Orange is directed by Abe Forman-Greenwald, directing his first feature after working as a producer on the series “Big Mouth” and “Human Resources.” It’s produced by Sam Linder. Gravitas Ventures will debut Brother Orange direct-to-VOD in the US starting January 21st, 2025 coming soon. Who wants to watch?
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