HBO Shows ‘Armed Only With A Camera’ – Brent Renaud Killed in Ukraine

When Brent Renaud, documentary filmmaker and journalist was fatally shot on March 13, 2022, the world lost a storyteller who never shied away from the front lines.
Now, on October 21, 2025, HBO will air his final tribute – a 37‑minute documentary titled Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – a film that folds grief, grit, and geography into one tight narrative.

The HBO Premiere and What to Expect

At 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, the cable giant will roll out the film on its flagship network, followed minutes later by a streaming release on HBO Max. The broadcast marks the culmination of a theatrical run that began on September 19, 2025, at select independent cinemas across the United States. HBO PremiereHBO Headquarters, New York has already generated buzz on social media, where a trailer posted on October 1, 2025, captured viewers with the line, “The way you hold that camera, you’re doing it from your heart.”

Remembering Brent: A Life Spent in Conflict Zones

Born in Arkansas, Brent grew up on the banks of the Arkansas River, chasing stories about local civil‑rights marches before his lens took him halfway around the globe. Over two decades, he and his older brother Craig Renaud embedded themselves in the volatility of places most people only see on the evening news – from Mexican drug cartels to the streets of Chicago, from Afghan warlords to the protests in Sudan.

“Brent didn’t just want to film history; he wanted to be part of it,” says Juan Arredondo, a longtime collaborator, in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine. “He believed the camera could give a voice to the voiceless, even if it meant putting his own life on the line.”

The stakes went up dramatically when, on a rainy afternoon near the front lines of the Ukrainian counter‑offensive, Russian soldiers opened fire on Brent’s convoy. The bullet that ended his life was the first to claim an American journalist in that war, a grim milestone that reshaped safety protocols for foreign correspondents.

Craig’s Quest: From Grief to a Film

Three weeks after the tragedy, Craig flew to Ukraine with a small crew, a battered hard drive, and a heavy heart. He set out to retrieve Brent’s body, his last recordings, and the unfinished footage that would become the backbone of the new film.

“I was driven by two things,” Craig told the New York Times in an exclusive on October 5, 2025. “First, I owed it to Brent to bring him home. Second, those recordings deserve an audience – they’re his final testimony to the world.”

The journey was fraught with bureaucratic hurdles. Ukrainian officials initially hesitated to release the body, citing security concerns. It took weeks of negotiations, a convoy of humanitarian aid, and the steady presence of a translator to finally secure the release on April 2, 2023. Once back in Arkansas, the siblings sifted through hours of raw footage, piecing together a story that oscillated between the intimate moments of family grief and the stark reality of war.

Production Partners and the Brent Renaud Foundation

The film’s production is a joint effort by several seasoned entities. HBO Documentary Films provided the platform and funding. Brainwomb, a boutique post‑production house, handled editing, while DCTV contributed archival research.

“Our goal was to honor Brent without turning him into a mythic figure,” said Christof Putzel, an executive producer, during a press briefing. “The film is as much about the process of storytelling as it is about the story itself.”

In the wake of Brent’s death, the Brent Renaud Foundation launched in March 2022. The nonprofit offers mentorship, grants, and field‑training programs for emerging documentary journalists, ensuring that Brent’s commitment to “telling truth in dangerous places” lives on.

Why the Film Matters: The Risks of War Reporting

War zones are notorious for their volatility, but the statistics are sobering. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 1,727 journalists were killed while on assignment between 1992 and 2022. Brent’s death was the first involving an American in the 2022‑2023 Ukraine conflict, a fact that sparked a wave of policy discussions in Washington.

“When a journalist is targeted, the entire world loses a line of sight into the truth,” remarks Nina Abraham, a senior fellow at the Center for International Media Assistance. “A film like this doesn’t just memorialize a man; it reminds us why press freedom matters on a daily basis.”

The documentary also sheds light on the ethical dilemmas of embedded reporting. Brent often grappled with the question: how much footage is too graphic? The film includes a poignant moment where Brent decides to withhold a harrowing clip of civilian casualties, choosing instead to focus on resilience.

Looking Ahead: Legacy and Future Support

Beyond the premiere, the filmmakers have a roadmap for impact. In partnership with the Brent Renaud Foundation, HBO plans a series of virtual workshops for aspiring journalists, slated to start in early 2026. The workshops will feature hands‑on training in safety protocols, ethical storytelling, and field equipment maintenance.

Meanwhile, the film is already earning accolades. It snagged a win at the 2025 International Documentary Awards for “Best Short Documentary” and secured a nomination for “Outstanding Documentary” at the Television Academy’s 2026 awards ceremony.

For viewers, the film serves as a window into a world most of us never see, while also offering a humbling reminder: behind every headline is a human being willing to risk everything for an honest picture.