Watch Gaza: Health Under Siege

Gaza: Health Under Siege is a documentary film directed by Mahmoud Jabari and produced in 2018. This documentary follows the healthcare crisis in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory. The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, which makes it difficult for the people living in the territory to access basic needs, like food, water, and medicine. As a result, the health system in Gaza is struggling, and this film focuses on how that affects the people living there.

The film starts by introducing Rouba Beydoun, a pediatrician who works at Al-Awda hospital in Gaza. Her work gives the audience an inside look at the struggles faced by doctors and patients trying to navigate their way through a system that is stretched to its limit. The film shows us the daily life of citizens who live in a place where bombings, conflict, and a lack of essential supplies are commonplace. Health professionals and patients face huge challenges in this environment.

One of the significant highlights of this documentary is its emphasis on the human aspect of Gaza's healthcare crisis. Viewers will see how healthcare professionals manage to deliver care under extreme conditions, while highlighting the personal stories of families and individuals struggling to survive in Gaza. We see a young girl, Mai, who suffers from cancer, and her mother who has been trying to get her daughter the required medical attention. However, the blockade made it harder for them to get their medications and chemotherapy treatments. We also see the story of a young boy who has been paralyzed since birth because of a disease that his doctors cannot treat in Gaza. These stories, among others, paint a vivid picture of the struggles the people of Gaza face in their daily lives.

Through the lens of this documentary, we see how the blockade affects Gaza's healthcare system, which is one of the most important infrastructures impacted. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict plays a significant role in the healthcare crisis, and this documentary helps us understand the political context of the blockade. In Gaza, people cannot get the treatment they need because of a lack of adequate medical equipment, shortage of medication, and a failing power grid that limits the supply of electricity to hospitals.

A particularly emotional moment occurs when Dr. Beydoun meets with a young girl who had lost both her arms because of a missile launched during the 2014 Israeli attack on Gaza. This girl's bravery and resilience are evident, and she inspires the audience to keep fighting for change.

Yet, the documentary is not only about the tragedy and current crisis in Gaza but about the resilience of its people too. Despite these difficulties, healthcare professionals continue to find ways to provide medical care in a system struggling to cope. This perseverance is laudable, and the film does an excellent job of showcasing the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

The cinematography in Gaza: Health Under Siege is excellent, and the documentary is visually captivating. The documentary team has done a good job in editing the documentary in such a way that it is not overly political despite the underlying political nature of the subject matter.

Overall, Gaza: Health Under Siege is an important documentary that sheds light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that is often overlooked. Through personal stories and firsthand accounts, the film brings awareness to the health crisis in Gaza and its impact on the people who live there. The film is a powerful call to action, urging the world to recognize the human cost of political conflict, and the vital importance of access to medical care for all people.

Gaza: Health Under Siege is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 43 hours.