American Doctor Documentary Explores Gaza’s Healthcare Crisis

The premiere of the documentary American Doctor took place at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Attendees included Kirstine Barfod, Mark Perlmutter, Thaer Ahmad, Poh Si Teng, Feroze Sidhwa, and Reem Haddad. This film presents an intimate and stark examination of Gaza’s healthcare system during Israeli assaults.

The documentary follows three American surgeons undertaking medical missions in Gaza. It depicts their efforts in treating injured Palestinians, alongside the struggles faced by Palestinian colleagues amid bombings, displacement, and insufficient food and medicine. Hospitals themselves are often targets of attack.

American Doctor provides insight into the American doctors’ lives back home and their attempts to share their experiences. This is essential considering Israel’s restrictions on international journalists accessing Gaza during the conflict.

Director Poh Si Teng begins the film with an interaction in North Carolina with orthopedic surgeon Mark Perlmutter. He presents her a photo of deceased Palestinian children, sparking a disagreement over journalistic integrity. Teng decides to show the image, setting the documentary’s tone.

Balancing the depiction of harsh realities without being overwhelming remains a delicate task. Teng highlighted this during an interview, arguing that underplaying the situation would disrespect those affected.

Perlmutter and Ahmad joined Teng in the interview, discussing the dire conditions in Gaza hospitals. Ahmad detailed the recurring “mass casualty events” where resources are insufficient to tend to the surge of patients amid the blockade on essentials like food and medicine.

Perlmutter spoke of the challenges of working with minimal supplies, stating that more than half of Gaza’s population is under 18, making children frequent patients. He noted the agony of performing amputations without anesthesia, a result of depleted medical supplies.

The confiscation of medical supplies and screening under Israeli policies adds to the healthcare crisis, barring essential items under the pretext of potential military use, according to Perlmutter.

Palestinian cinematographers documented scenes within Gaza, while Teng captured footage of American doctors in the U.S. The exposure of these experiences is crucial, Teng stressed, especially as U.S. support for Israel remains extensive.

The documentary American Doctor is now showing in select U.S. theaters, offering an essential perspective on the humanitarian struggles in Gaza. The digital version was produced by Majd Al-Waheidi.