American Doctor
As the situation in Gaza intensified, medical volunteers arrived to not only help, but to bear witness. Dr. Mark Perlmutter, a Jewish physician, became friendly with Palestinian American Dr. Thaer Ahmad on their way over, naively learning that Gaza was not full of terrorists, the two partnering for several CNN broadcasts in which Perlmutter claims Ahmad thinks intelligently while he thinks emotionally. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is the Zoroastrian son of immigrants who laughs when questioned about videos of Hamas tunnels beneath a hospital Israel has bombed, stating that the video is a CGI lie as no tunnels are there. Many believe claiming Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people is anti-Semitic, but what if it has all been witnessed by an "American Doctor?"
Laura's Review: A-
Director Poh Si Teng opens her film questioning whether using the photos Perlmutter has of dead children will be offensive to the families. Perlmutter assures her this is not so, as he not only has permission to use these photos, but that it is Israel who has robbed these children of their dignity and that it is our U.S. tax dollars that did this. Each of these three doctors (Ahmad, who has been there, is denied entry by Israel during the shooting of this documentary, then stopped by Homeland Security on his way back) say civilians are being targeted and that children are being shot in the head or chest far too regularly to have been caught in crossfire.
While Perlmutter and Sidhwa make their way to the Nasser Medical Complex, Ahmad notes that no hospital is safe since there was no accountability when the first one was hit, reeling off a long list targeted since then. Underlining the heroism of the medical personnel who are heading into Palestine, he adds that 'if the Israelis want to you kill, they will and they'll get away with it and the U.S. will let them get away with it even if you are a U.S. citizen.' We'll learn that after Dr. Sidhwa worked extensively to save a young boy, that child was incinerated in his hospital bed when the first missile strikes Nasser. Later we'll see the aftermath of a hit on the building's roof, a half dozen or so civil engineers inspecting the damage disappearing in front of our eyes when a second missile targets the same spot. Equally devastating is the juxtaposition of Mark's first trip to Gaza where he's greeted by laughing children, kids joyfully being kids, before Si Teng cuts to him experiencing a mass casualty event as severely injured and bloodied children come in on stretchers
While there are several shocking sequences of doctors responding to these type of events, "American Doctor" is more about their activism and the bravery required for them to speak out about what is happening in Gaza. It is noted several times than many are afraid to, their institutions often forbidding it. Perlmutter's more emotional statements on CNN are lightly criticized by Ahmad, who notes that while the Jewish doctor may have the leeway to say what he's saying, it could cause backlash for others, like himself. He also observes that he didn't foresee having to do social media campaigning and writing op-eds as part of his job as he and the others trudge the halls of the U.S. Capitol, meeting senators who give rehearsed responses, Cornyn stopping their entreaty with his pro-Israel stance.
Si Teng gives us a tour of what appears to be an ambulance graveyard, one twisted vehicle after another, before her end credits note that the Israelis have killed 1,700 healthcare professionals. "American Doctor" is as important a documentary about the oppression of Palestinians by the Israelis as "No Other Land," "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk" and the docudrama "The Voice of Hind Rajab," three American doctors from contrasting backgrounds uniting to condemn barbarity. As Perlmutter notes, one can love the country of Israel and its people while condemning its right-wing Fascist government.
Watermelon Pictures released "American Doctor" in select theaters on 8/14/26. Click here for theaters and playdates.
