Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud - Everything we know about the upcoming docufilm on HBO

An American journalist covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine was killed in March 2022. His brother has come up with a documentary called Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. Brent was the first American journalist to lose his life in the conflict.

It's not just a tribute by Craig Renaud to his brother but to all the war journalists who are out there risking their lives while we all watch their coverage on our devices at home.

Throughout his career, Brent has made several documentary films and series that can certainly leave a mark on anyone who watches them. This includes

Off to War (2004)
Dope Sick Love (2005)
Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later (2007)
Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing (2009)
Surviving Haiti's Earthquake: Children (2011)
Arming the Mexican Cartels (2013)
Last Chance High (2015)
Meth Storm (2017)
Shelter (2018)

Craig Renaud also contributed to the work of his brother.

When will Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud be released and streamed?

A still from Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. (Image via HBO Max)

Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud is set for release on October 21, 2025, and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

Is there a trailer for the documentary?

Yes, there is a trailer for the upcoming documentary, which offers a glimpse into the lives of the brothers. It will be a 37-minute documentary and will be a mix of some personal conversations and footage from their coverage.

In the trailer, we can hear Craig saying that it was his older brother who wanted to be a documentary filmmaker, and he followed his brother. He also mentions that Brent was mostly a quiet person.

What happened to Brent?

According to some officials in Ukraine, he was working on a project for TIME focused on the global refugee crisis. The incident took place in Irpin, where it was reported that Russian forces opened fire on a car carrying foreign journalists. Brent was one of them in it.

In one statement from The New York Times spokesperson, he said,

"We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death. Brent was a talented filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Times over the years"

TIME also issued a statement for the veteran journalist, where its editor-in-chief and TIME Studios president said in a joint statement that,

"As an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Brent tackled the toughest stories around the world often alongside his brother Craig Renaud."

While Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War has been ongoing since 2014. Several journalists have covered stories coming out of it, and by 16 May 2023, reportedly 17 civilian journalists had lost their lives.