Our screening on Sunday 22 November will be followed by a q&a with director Poh Si Teng and doctors Feroze Thaer from the film. 

Three American doctors volunteer in Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals. The humanitarian catastrophe they witness compels them to carry their fight far beyond the wards and back to Washington.

The Garden Cinema View:

American Doctor showcases the strength and moral fibre of healthcare workers in Gaza, even as centres of salvation are targeted by IDF missiles. These scenes are awful, gripping, moving, and, occasionally, a glimmer of hope gets through. Not only do these doctors save lives and limbs, but with erudite anger, they appear on TV news, podcasts, radio, imploring the world to understand the humanitarian needs of the genocide.

As the title suggests, the focus is US-centric. But as the American protagonists reiterate repeatedly, the USA is implicitly entangled with Israel and thus also culpable for these shameful acts of violence. The central trio of doctors are inspiring in their drive, bravery, and compassion. And there is something empowering in watching Americans from very different backgrounds speaking truth to power and the media (director Poh Si Teng quit her job at ABC to self-finance this film). Although as much as Poh tries to finds a way forward through their light, the unbearable images of atrocity mean that the overriding feeling is the terrible weight of sadness.