On March 13, filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud was shot and killed while working on a project about refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. He was the first American journalist to die in the conflict.
Brent Renaud, who often worked alongside his brother Craig Renaud, grew up in Little Rock. The Renaud brothers were the recipients of numerous awards for their work, which focused on shedding light on disenfranchised populations in the United States and around the world.
The documentary film community in Arkansas and across the United States is mourning the loss of Renaud, who was known for his generosity, humility and unflinching desire to portray difficult subjects via an authentic and compassionate lens.
On this episode of Capitol & Scott, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette critic and columnist Philip Martin joins Amman Abbasi, an award-winning Pakistani-American director, editor and composer from Little Rock who worked on several film projects with the Renaud brothers, to share Renaud’s impact on the documentary film industry in Arkansas and beyond.
The funeral service for Brent Renaud will be held this Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m. in the sanctuary of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock.