'American Doctor' documentary brings Gaza's horrors to US screens

American orthopedic surgeon Mark Perlmuter, who has treated casualties in over 30 countries, states that his first week in Gaza during the recent conflict was more harrowing than all his previous experiences combined.

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Our first week in Gaza alone was worse than all my experiences combined.

His testimony, alongside that of two other American doctors, Palestinian-American Muslim Thair Ahmed and Firouz Daneshgari, born to Zoroastrian parents, forms the core of the documentary 'American Doctor.' The film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, aims to convey the stark realities faced by medical professionals in Gaza.

Perlmuter and his colleagues worked in Gaza's hospitals amidst the conflict that erupted after Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023. The documentary highlights their efforts to treat both the physical and psychological trauma inflicted on civilians. The doctors reported not witnessing any evidence of Hamas tunnels within the hospitals, contradicting Israeli military claims.

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People feel they need a PhD in this subject to understand it or discuss it rationally. But the question is not what you know about Arab-Israeli history, but: Do you support killing children or not? Do you support torturing doctors or not? Do you support bombing hospitals or not?

The film also documents the challenges the medical team faced, including smuggling essential supplies like antibiotics and surgical clothing to circumvent the Israeli blockade and dealing with Israeli authorities' refusal of entry. Director Bo See Ting navigated the difficult decision of what to show, aiming for impactful truth without being gratuitously graphic. The documentary prompts viewers to consider fundamental moral questions about the conflict, such as whether one supports the killing of children or the bombing of hospitals, regardless of historical context.

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If you show too much, it becomes gruesome, and no one will watch the film, yet you want to be effective in telling the truth. If you show too little, it won't be real.