DELTA BOYS review in the New York Times!
DELTA BOYS was reviewed today in the New York Times syncing with its release today on Netflix, Hulu and SnagFilms.
The film is also already available on iTunes and Amazon.
Watchlist: Years after the Headlines, the Documentary Arrives
By MIKE HALE
Those interested in documentary filmmaking, the situation in the Niger Delta or the travails of Americans overseas may remember the story of Andrew Berends, who was arrested and charged with spying in Nigeria in 2008 while working on a film about militants in the oil-rich delta. He briefly became the subject of international bulletins during his 10-day ordeal and the campaign to win his release.
Now there’s happier news: The resulting documentary, “Delta Boys,” is being released Tuesday online at sites including SnagFilms and Hulu. The 55-minute film was largely shot inside the camp of the rebel leader Ateke Tom, who at the time led a band of 2,000 young men claiming to fight for the rights and welfare of delta residents against the oppression of the Nigerian government and foreign oil companies. A slice-of-life production with minimal narration and a smattering of news reports for context, it doesn’t present alternate points of view, though Mr. Berends raises the question of whether the militants are in it for justice or for money and violence.
Life in the muddy forest camp, just up the river from brightly lighted and heavily guarded oil facilities, is something most Westerners won’t have seen before, even amid the current outpouring of socially engaged documentaries. But Mr. Berends’s best and most unusual material comes in a brief visit to a nearby village where a woman goes into a dangerous and protracted labor. Medicine consists of roots, and the birth elicits calls for the fetching of sand, whose purpose remains mysterious. Exhibiting perfect timing, Mr. Berends has his camera on a tense young man at the moment the baby’s first cry is heard. He smiles, and so do we.
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Funding period
Nov 16, 2011 -
Dec 17, 2011
- First created · 17 backed
- Andrew Berends 1076 friends
- Website: deltaboys.com
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14 backers
Thank you for your support! Every dollar counts! Your name will be listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Jan 2012Pledge $15 or more
45 backers
You’ll receive a digital download of DELTA BOYS, and your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $30 or more
42 backers
You’ll receive DELTA BOYS on DVD including BONUS FEATURES, and your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $50 or more
6 backers
Alternate T-shirt design. Designer Brenda Fox came up with a great icon to represent DELTA BOYS and the conflict over oil: an oil-drum with a tear drop. But is it a tear drop, a drop of blood, or a drop of oil. (See design at bottom of project description.) You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Jan 2012Pledge $50 or more
12 backers
You get a DELTA BOYS T-Shirt! …and your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2012Pledge $80 or more
1 backer
You’ll receive a DELTA BOYS movie poster, and your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2012Pledge $100 or more
25 backers
You’ll receive the Complete Andrew Berends Documentary Film Collection including THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME, URK and DELTA BOYS. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS. (For international shipping, please add $15. Items ship separately when they become available between January and July 2012.)
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $120 or more
2 backers
Two tickets to the New York City theatrical premiere of DELTA BOYS. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2012Pledge $200 or more
2 backers
Two tickets to the New York City theatrical premiere of DELTA BOYS. You’ll also receive the Complete Andrew Berends Documentary Film Collection on DVD including THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME, URK and DELTA BOYS, and you'll have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2012Pledge $250 or more
4 backers All gone!
Just for fun, I’ll take you to dinner and drinks in Manhattan or Brooklyn. (I love this city!) We’ll talk about filmmaking, photography and anything else. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Jan 2012Pledge $350 or more
4 backers Limited (6 of 10 left)
You’ll receive a limited edition 20 x 30” archival print of “3 schoolgirls, Akwa Ibom.” The photo shows three Nigerian schoolgirls in uniform before an impending storm. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2012Pledge $550 or more
1 backer Limited (9 of 10 left)
You’ll receive a 12 x 30" limited edition black & white archival print of “Irene, Rockaways.” OK, this one’s local. The photo captures an instant in time on Brooklyn’s Rockaway Beach during Hurricane Irene, August 28, 2011. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2012Pledge $1,000 or more
2 backers
You’ll receive two VIP tickets to the world premiere of DELTA BOYS. (Transportation and lodging not included.) You'll also receive the Complete Andrew Berends Documentary Film Collection on DVD including four films: THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME, URK and DELTA BOYS. In addition, you’ll receive the DELTA BOYS movie poster, a DELTA BOYS T-shirt and a digital download of DELTA BOYS. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS. (Items ship separately when they become available between January and July 2012.)
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $1,500 or more
1 backer Limited (3 of 4 left)
FILMMAKER ATTENDED SCREENING: You host a private screening at your home for your friends and colleagues with director Andrew Berends in attendance. Andrew will present the film and host a Q&A after the screening. (Does not include transportation and lodging outside New York City.) You’ll also receive the Complete Andrew Berends Documentary Film Collection on DVD including THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME, URK and DELTA BOYS, and you'll have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2012Pledge $2,500 or more
0 backers Limited (4 of 4 left)
I'll spend a day with you to create a photographic environmental portrait or photo essay of you, your family, or the subject of your choosing. (Travel and lodging not included outside the Greater New York area.) You’ll also receive two VIP tickets to the world premiere of DELTA BOYS. (Transportation and lodging not included.) Plus the Complete Andrew Berends Documentary Film Collection on DVD including four films: THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME, URK and DELTA BOYS. In addition, you’ll receive the DELTA BOYS movie poster, a DELTA BOYS T-shirt and a digital download of DELTA BOYS. You’ll also have your name listed on the film website under FRIENDS OF DELTA BOYS. (Items ship separately when they become available between January and July 2012.)
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012
Comments
Creator Ricky On Leacock on January 15
Finally! Big congrats to you all!
Creator Suzanne Griffin on January 15
Congratulations on the success of the film!