Interview: Steve Hoover (Blood Brother)

Steve Hoover hasn’t been known for his non-fiction fare, working mainly on commercial projects and music videos through his co-owned production company Endeavor Media Group for bands like Owl City, Bayside and Anberlin, but that focus may have shifted immensely with the release of his stunning docu debut, Blood Brother. The film follows Hoover’s best friend Rocky on a spiritual journal to India where he unwittingly finds fulfillment in caring for women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS. Taking the dire and molding it into something supremely heartwarming, Hoover’s doc is a vibrant journey of soul searching and selfless charity.

For it’s emotional punch and glorious visual storytelling, the film took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year. Just a few months later at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto, I sat down with the pensive young filmmaker to talk about his first feature, his own experiences tagging along with Rocky in India and what might be up next (as it turns out, he’s already hard at work on Gennadiy, his follow up docu feature). Find our conversation below.