Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this interview, director Craig Renaud joins us on Directors Notes to discuss his Oscar-nominated documentary short, 'Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud', a poignant tribute to his brother and filmmaking partner, Brent Renaud.
On March 13, 2022, Craig’s brother and longtime filmmaking partner, Brent Renaud, was killed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine—becoming the first American journalist to die in the war. In this conversation, Craig walks us through the harrowing process of returning to Ukraine to bring his brother home, all while keeping his camera rolling, just as they had always promised each other they would.
Craig discusses the challenge of sifting through 20 years of archives to find Brent’s voice, the creative decision to keep the film a tight 38 minutes, and the responsibility of showing the reality of his brother’s death. He also reflects on the current global war on journalists, the healing power of storytelling, and how he feels Brent was right there with him in the edit room.
👀 Watch the official trailer for 'Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud' youtu.be/whK_ezu0VMA
🔔 Watch more interviews with visionary filmmakers on our channel: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
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🎧 Listen to our Podcast: pod.link/192507317
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** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00 - Intro
02:09 - A New Era of Danger: Why Journalists Are Being Targeted
03:36 - The Archive Challenge: Searching for Brent’s Voice in 20 Years of Footage
06:30 - Finding Humanity in the Edit
07:53 - The Ethics of Grief: Deciding to Show Brent's Body
11:46 - Why a Short Film? The 38-Minute Edit
16:57 - A Posthumous Collaboration: Editing with Brent in the Room
18:08 - The Sound of War: Designing the "Eerie Quiet"
20:39 - The Fight for Truth: Why This Film Matters Now
22:25 - What's Next & Continuing the Legacy
23:45 - Short Film Recommendation
#CraigRenaud #ArmedOnlywithaCamera #BrentRenaud #BestDocumentaryShort #oscars #oscarnominee #foryourconsideration #documentary #shortfilm
In this interview, director Craig Renaud joins us on Directors Notes to discuss his Oscar-nominated documentary short, 'Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud', a poignant tribute to his brother and filmmaking partner, Brent Renaud.
On March 13, 2022, Craig’s brother and longtime filmmaking partner, Brent Renaud, was killed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine—becoming the first American journalist to die in the war. In this conversation, Craig walks us through the harrowing process of returning to Ukraine to bring his brother home, all while keeping his camera rolling, just as they had always promised each other they would.
Craig discusses the challenge of sifting through 20 years of archives to find Brent’s voice, the creative decision to keep the film a tight 38 minutes, and the responsibility of showing the reality of his brother’s death. He also reflects on the current global war on journalists, the healing power of storytelling, and how he feels Brent was right there with him in the edit room.
👀 Watch the official trailer for 'Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud' youtu.be/whK_ezu0VMA
🔔 Watch more interviews with visionary filmmakers on our channel: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
📬 Get filmmaking insights delivered: Subscribe to our free Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
📷 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes
🎧 Listen to our Podcast: pod.link/192507317
👍 **Loved this deep dive?** Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications so you never miss a conversation with the world's best filmmakers.
** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00 - Intro
02:09 - A New Era of Danger: Why Journalists Are Being Targeted
03:36 - The Archive Challenge: Searching for Brent’s Voice in 20 Years of Footage
06:30 - Finding Humanity in the Edit
07:53 - The Ethics of Grief: Deciding to Show Brent's Body
11:46 - Why a Short Film? The 38-Minute Edit
16:57 - A Posthumous Collaboration: Editing with Brent in the Room
18:08 - The Sound of War: Designing the "Eerie Quiet"
20:39 - The Fight for Truth: Why This Film Matters Now
22:25 - What's Next & Continuing the Legacy
23:45 - Short Film Recommendation
#CraigRenaud #ArmedOnlywithaCamera #BrentRenaud #BestDocumentaryShort #oscars #oscarnominee #foryourconsideration #documentary #shortfilm
