Jake Rademacher

You know, the first one came because my brothers, Joe and Isaac, told me that the truth was not coming home from Iraq. And this was 2004. They were with the 82nd Airborne. They were in combat. Joe was a sniper with the 82nd Airborne, 18 years old. Isaac was a captain, infantry officer doing civil relations. And as a family member, as a brother, that pissed me off. So I went back to my hometown.

You know, the first one came because my brothers, Joe and Isaac, told me that the truth was not coming home from Iraq. And this was 2004. They were with the 82nd Airborne. They were in combat. Joe was a sniper with the 82nd Airborne, 18 years old. Isaac was a captain, infantry officer doing civil relations. And as a family member, as a brother, that pissed me off. So I went back to my hometown.

I raised some money and I got myself over to Iraq. and I embedded in Isaac's unit, and he let me film everything. I got out to the Syrian border with his guys. Eventually the film follows him home. He predicts his daughter won't recognize him. She doesn't. That's all in the first film and the second. And then I went back to Iraq a second time.

I raised some money and I got myself over to Iraq. and I embedded in Isaac's unit, and he let me film everything. I got out to the Syrian border with his guys. Eventually the film follows him home. He predicts his daughter won't recognize him. She doesn't. That's all in the first film and the second. And then I went back to Iraq a second time.

My youngest brother's kind of a hard-ass Joe, to put it bluntly. Gary's probably laughing. But he gives me a hard time when he's 19 and then 15 years later in Brothers After War. But he said, you didn't see enough. You don't know enough. So I went back to Iraq. I went to the Sunni Triangle.

My youngest brother's kind of a hard-ass Joe, to put it bluntly. Gary's probably laughing. But he gives me a hard time when he's 19 and then 15 years later in Brothers After War. But he said, you didn't see enough. You don't know enough. So I went back to Iraq. I went to the Sunni Triangle.

I embedded with the National Guard Infantry Company sniper team, the Iraqi Army, and Marine Advisors working with them. And I spent about six weeks over on that second trip. I I got into a decent amount of combat and saw the tougher, harder part of war. All of that became Brothers at War. I was asked to go to Iraq a third time to screen it for General Petraeus' public affairs folks.

I embedded with the National Guard Infantry Company sniper team, the Iraqi Army, and Marine Advisors working with them. And I spent about six weeks over on that second trip. I I got into a decent amount of combat and saw the tougher, harder part of war. All of that became Brothers at War. I was asked to go to Iraq a third time to screen it for General Petraeus' public affairs folks.

While I was over there, a Marine colonel, a really lovely lady, said with tears in her eyes, you have to share this with Gary Sinise. Now, I, as a first-time filmmaker who grew up in Chicago in the beginning of my career and always looked up and admired, Gary said, do you have a cell phone number? Because we're not all drinking at the same cantina back there in L.A.

While I was over there, a Marine colonel, a really lovely lady, said with tears in her eyes, you have to share this with Gary Sinise. Now, I, as a first-time filmmaker who grew up in Chicago in the beginning of my career and always looked up and admired, Gary said, do you have a cell phone number? Because we're not all drinking at the same cantina back there in L.A.

And she said no, but I shared this story with a friend of ours, Michael Broderick, and

And she said no, but I shared this story with a friend of ours, Michael Broderick, and

and michael said i know gary and i think he'd love your film and one thing led to another and gary graciously created a couple hours on his schedule he was shooting csi new york and i went over to cbs two days before thanksgiving in 2007 and it was gary sinise myself and norman powell we watched brothers at war and i'll never forget it you know gary was very moved at the end of the film he just sat there like in silence for two or three minutes and i just let him sit in it

and michael said i know gary and i think he'd love your film and one thing led to another and gary graciously created a couple hours on his schedule he was shooting csi new york and i went over to cbs two days before thanksgiving in 2007 and it was gary sinise myself and norman powell we watched brothers at war and i'll never forget it you know gary was very moved at the end of the film he just sat there like in silence for two or three minutes and i just let him sit in it

And then he said, it's a very important film, Jake. It's a very important film. And then Gary, as Gary does, he kind of started telling me what to do. So it was all good ideas. And, you know, it's like one of your heroes giving you advice, you're going to take it. And so eventually we said, let's make this official. And I asked him to be executive producer of the film.

And then he said, it's a very important film, Jake. It's a very important film. And then Gary, as Gary does, he kind of started telling me what to do. So it was all good ideas. And, you know, it's like one of your heroes giving you advice, you're going to take it. And so eventually we said, let's make this official. And I asked him to be executive producer of the film.

That was in 2007, and he's been by our side ever since. The workshops that have come out of that have been sort of a collaboration. I'll come up with an idea, bring it to Gary for his thoughts, and next thing I know, I'm in front of 700 soldiers back from Iraq. And this new film also came out of that continuing collaboration, the conversations that we had.

That was in 2007, and he's been by our side ever since. The workshops that have come out of that have been sort of a collaboration. I'll come up with an idea, bring it to Gary for his thoughts, and next thing I know, I'm in front of 700 soldiers back from Iraq. And this new film also came out of that continuing collaboration, the conversations that we had.

And so then we kind of came together and said, let's make this film. And Gary was the first one to support it. Eventually, I got an opportunity to talk to his foundation about it. They fell in love with the idea as well. And then in 2019, I set off across the world, four continents to follow up with my two brothers and then 10 friends I made in Iraq to make Brothers After War.

And so then we kind of came together and said, let's make this film. And Gary was the first one to support it. Eventually, I got an opportunity to talk to his foundation about it. They fell in love with the idea as well. And then in 2019, I set off across the world, four continents to follow up with my two brothers and then 10 friends I made in Iraq to make Brothers After War.