“My dad’s in Afghanistan trying to make this country how it is” – Joey Eisch.
Father Soldier Son premiered on Netflix on 17 July 2020. The documentary film is directed by Leslye Davis and Catrin Einhorn and stars Brian Eisch with sons Joey and Issac along with some other family members.
The 99 minutes long documentary is heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time.
Father Soldier Son – A Cherished Bond
Every time a country goes into a war, it takes away from them their precious soldiers. It costs them more than weapons and supplies, it costs the country its man – Its valour and pride.
Any family whose beloved is deployed in a country like Afghanistan, with which the USA has been at war for close to two decades, goes through immense pain and struggle.
The documentary revolves around former Sgt. Brian Eisch and his military accident while he was deployed in Afghanistan. He eventually had to get amputated and quit the military, which completely changed his life after. The documentary takes us through the life of Brian – an off-duty soldier, a struggling father, and an angry man.
“Hold the sign up. Look cheerful. Look cheerful,” Issac Eisch.
The beautiful airport reunion scenes will always be heartwarming no matter how many of those we see. The documentary features Isaac and Joey preparing welcome charts for their father as he returns for 2 weeks.
When Brian apologizes to his boys for his travel smell, Joey forgives him beautifully saying, “You smell like a regular military guy, just how I like it.”
Was It Worth It?
A reoccurring question in the documentary is “Was it worth it? Losing your leg?” While to Brian it was, to his son Isaac it wasn’t.
While Brian doesn’t complain about what happened to him he does say “It feels like they’re feeling sorry for me.” On crutches with a partially amputated leg, no matter how hard you try, you will feel sorry for Brian, for what this brave soldier has to go through.
Father Soldier Son moves from Isaac wearing his father’s army cap as a child to getting on himself as he joins the army. The journey is filled with love, strength, and loss. Both Joey and he speak about how they feel about their father’s profession and how they are scared for him.
“Please, just bring him back safe, just worrying about him,” says Isaac. The whole journey turns Isaac numb, which is more saddening than anything else. This, later on, turns into depression.
Stream It or Skip It?
STREAM IT! Father Soldier Son takes you closer and deeper into the Eisch family. You’ll feel their triumphs and tragedies closely and might even walk away with a new perspective on the American military experience. Get ready for some tears and laughs, innocence and loss.
You will grow with Issac and Joey, you’ll feel their fear and desperation. You’ll see Brian fall in love, you will see him winning and losing simultaneously. Very rarely we get to see a documentary that touches your heart so deeply that you cry and laugh with the people in it.
While, at moments, you might feel why Brian is so hard on his kids, well, that is for him to answer. Life wasn’t exactly fair to him.
Father Soldier Son is now streaming on Netflix.
Read our other reviews here.