The Silent Witnesses: Doctors Under Fire in Gaza

The medical drama genre has long been co-opted by Western television, but what happens when the doctors we’ve come to admire are forced to confront the consequences of our actions – or inactions – in Gaza? American Doctor, a documentary film directed by Poh Si Teng, presents us with just such a reckoning. The film follows three doctors from diverse backgrounds as they volunteer in Gaza’s collapsing hospital system, bearing witness to the destruction wrought upon this tiny strip of land.

The central trio – Thaer Ahmad, Mark Perlmutter, and Feroze Sidhwa – embody the complexities of their profession. As medical professionals, they’re compelled to document the unimaginable horrors they witness every day. But as American doctors working in a war zone, they also become unwitting advocates for change, their testimony a powerful counterweight to the propaganda churned out by politicians and media outlets.

Teng’s journey to making this film began when she saw the 2024 military campaign in Gaza escalate without any real pushback from Western governments or journalists. Feeling suffocated by the professional and political silence surrounding this crisis, Teng decided to take a stand – even if it meant leaving her job as a documentary commissioning editor for Al Jazeera English.

Her decision was cemented when she met Mark Perlmutter, whose blunt honesty in an interview caught her attention. As she learned more about his work and the challenges facing healthcare workers in Gaza, Teng realized that American doctors were uniquely positioned to bear witness to this humanitarian crisis. Their professional standing made their testimony difficult for politicians to dismiss as propaganda.

The film’s unflinching portrayal of war’s horrors is striking – though that alone would be enough to shake even the most jaded viewer. What’s more, Teng humanizes these medical professionals, revealing their own vulnerabilities and moral struggles amidst the chaos. Sidhwa’s account of volunteering in Gaza twice, only to have his entry blocked by Israeli authorities on a third attempt, is particularly poignant.

His assessment that “nobody cares” about documentaries about Gaza until they’re shown through the eyes of medical professionals rings eerily true – especially given the relative silence surrounding this crisis in Western media. The implications of American Doctor extend far beyond the confines of Gaza or even the medical community. By highlighting the unique position of doctors as witnesses, Teng raises essential questions about our complicity in humanitarian crises and our responsibility to listen to those on the frontlines.

As we watch these medical professionals struggle to provide care amidst unimaginable destruction, we’re forced to confront the stark reality of our own powerlessness – or rather, our refusal to act. American Doctor shows us that even in the face of overwhelming horror, human resilience can be a powerful force for change. By listening to the stories of these doctors and bearing witness to their struggles, perhaps we can begin to dismantle the abstract language used by military spokespeople and politicians.

The question now is: what will we do with this knowledge? Will we continue to turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, or will we finally find our collective voice – and use it to demand change? The doctors featured in American Doctor are not just witnesses; they’re also educators. They’re teaching us about the unfathomable destruction wrought upon Gaza, about the fear and grief of its people, and about the steely determination of medical professionals working at the front lines.

It’s our turn now – as viewers, citizens, and human beings – to listen, learn, and act. The world is watching.