American Doctor doesn’t hold back from showing the devastation Palestinians in Gaza go through every day. It follows three U.S. doctors – of Jewish, Pakistani, and Palestinian descent – working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and their advocacy for Palestinian liberation. Though the story is told through their eyes, the focus is on the many young lives lost and forever changed through this genocide and the unflinching efforts to save and protect lives.
From the beginning, the film wrestles with how graphic it should be. Director Poh Si Teng is deliberating on blurring a photo of babies killed in a missile strike. Dr. Mark Perlmutter argues that blurring the image would be a disservice to the reality these children confronted. The entire film takes that to heart and reminds the audience that as horrific as the images many of us have already seen online may be, it is nothing compared to living that reality.
All three doctors – Dr. Mark Perlmutter, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, and Dr. Thaer Ahmad – emphasize that we must desperately do everything we can to end the genocide. “I hope my daughters are better than we were,” Dr. Ahmad says. “I hope they don’t fail like we failed.” Their stories offer honest accounts of the kinds of sacrifices they make to live out their values and the guilt they feel when returning home, knowing there is no one to take their place helping save lives at Nasser. They face death threats and smear campaigns but stand resolute knowing there is no hiding the truth. In the middle of operating with the bare minimum supplies and crumbling infrastructure, they find time to do interviews for different media channels and speak to U.S. representatives advocating for Palestinian lives.
This timely documentary helps us see that the fight for Palestinian liberation is the fight for all our lives and our humanity. It highlights the U.S. government’s direct involvement with this genocide. Reflecting on the billions of tax dollars sent to Israel, Dr. Sidhwa wonders: “Did I pay for this shrapnel, or did my neighbor, or did his neighbor?” It is a heavy and vital film that tells us we cannot afford to look away.
The film is currently in theaters. You can find showtimes and tickets at https://americandoctorfilm.com/buy-tickets
