Once Brothers (2010): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2010, Once Brothers is a documentary film directed by Michael Tolajian, running about 79 minutes. “Dreams brought them together. Reality tore them apart.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to USA where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. This film will tell the gripping tale of these men, how circumstances beyond their control tore them apart, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.

Who’s in it. Once Brothers stars Vlade Divac as Himself, Dražen Petrović as Himself (archive footage), Kenny Anderson as Himself and Larry Bird as Himself.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.3/10, Once Brothers has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In GB you can stream it on Disney Plus. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Once Brothers page.

If you liked it. Fans of Once Brothers tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.