Watch Precious Life

Precious Life is a powerful documentary film directed by Israeli filmmaker Shlomi Eldar, released in 2010. The film examines the complex political and social issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the story of one Palestinian baby's struggle for life. The story centers around the life of a baby boy, Mohammad Abu Mustafa, who is born with a rare immune disorder that can only be treated with a bone marrow transplant. The film follows Mohammad's parents and their attempts to obtain the medical treatment necessary for their son's survival. However, the only place where the treatment can be found is in an Israeli hospital, and this poses a significant problem for Palestinian families like Mohammad's, given the tense political situation between Israel and Palestine.

As the film unfolds, we are introduced to Dr. Raz Somech, a pediatric doctor in Israel who is treating several Palestinian children with similar diseases. Despite the complexity of the situation, Dr. Somech takes it upon himself to help Mohammad and his family navigate the bureaucracy of the Israeli healthcare system and secure the treatment that Mohammad so desperately needs. Through him, we learn about the difficult and often heartbreaking choices that must be made when dealing with life-threatening illnesses in situations of political conflict.

As the story progresses, the film takes us deeper into the lives of Palestinian families like Mohammad's, giving us a glimpse of the daily struggles they face because of the ongoing conflict. We see how checkpoints and border restrictions can make it nearly impossible for them to access the medical care they need, and how many parents must choose between the risk of their child's death and the risks and costs of crossing over into Israel. We are given a poignant look at the emotional toll that this conflict takes on people's lives, not only on the Palestinian side but on the Israeli side as well.

Throughout the movie, Eldar uses a variety of means to tell this touching story, including interviews with the parents, doctors, and other healthcare workers involved in Mohammad's medical journey, along with never-before-seen footage of their daily lives. The result is a moving portrait of the complexities inherent in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the human struggles that arise from it.

One of the most powerful aspects of Precious Life is how it manages to remain hopeful despite the challenging themes it explores. The delicate and intimate relationships that develop between the Palestinian families and the doctors who help them serves as both a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a ray of hope in the midst of an ongoing and complex conflict. Through the lens of Mohammad's journey, the film challenges the viewer to confront the difficult question of how life should be valued during times of war.

Overall, Precious Life is an engaging and thought-provoking documentary that highlights the human stories behind one of the most enduring conflicts of the modern era. Though it delves into some of the darker aspects of the conflict and the struggles associated with access to healthcare, it ultimately leaves the viewer with a sense of hope and the knowledge that even in times of crisis, there are still those who strive to help and heal.

Precious Life is a 2011 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3.