Film is a way to inform and impact people who may not otherwise know what is happening in the world around them.
In the case of the global healthcare crisis, many will never see the problems first-hand nor look directly into the eyes of those suffering. The films listed below bring the global healthcare crisis to life:
1. The Shape of Water (2006) The Shape of Water tells the stories of idealist women who wish to face and change the third world. The film promotes the ending of the old tradition of female genital cutting. It takes you through interviews of women in Senegal, Israel/Palestine, Brazil, and India. “The Shape of Water offers a complex look that is simultaneously inspiring and yet candid about the contradictions that face women in the Third World as they make change.”
2. Flow for Love of Water (2008) This movie reveals the harsh reality of what is happening to water around the world and highlights the lack of clean water that many countries face. The clean water crisis is directly related to many of the global health care issues.
3. Ericson and the Ebola Soccer Survivors (2015) This is a short 12-minute film about what it’s like for those who survived the Ebola crisis. 16,000 out of the 28,000 people infected actually survived, nd the characters in this film use soccer as a way to piece their lives back together.
4. Living in Emergency Stories of Doctors Without Borders (2010) This film follows doctors without borders as they struggle to give proper medical attention to people in DR Congo and Liberia under extreme conditions. It’s an uncensored film that follows the difficulties each doctor faces on the scene.
5. Donka: X-Ray of an African Hospital Donka is the largest public hospital in Guinea that has a substantial amount of debt. The hospital enforces a pay-as-you-go method which is difficult for patients who need the help but can’t afford the costs. Debt increases as access to treatment diminishes, and this documentary covers the reality of what most third world hospitals face.
6. Grace Under Fire (2011) Set in the DR Congo, which has been named the worst place in the world to be a woman, follows Dr. Grace Kodindo as she looks into the healthcare crisis of her world and investigates reproductive health when it comes to sexual abuse victims. The tragedy of war not only affects the soldiers but also the civilians — particularly women and children.
7. The Lazarus Effect This documentary follows a woman who lost her family to AIDS before there were any affordable treatment opportunities. Choosing between paying for food or paying for treatment was a difficult decision at the end of every month, and it ultimately cost this family their lives. There was soon a program that allowed the woman to be enrolled for affordable treatment. The Lazarus Effect shows people the progression of a patient arriving at a treatment center with AIDS and then seeking the treatment they need. Not only does the program offer support to those with AIDS, but they also try to protect people from contracting and/or spreading the virus.
8. Malaria: Fever Wars A disease that is running rampant in the third world and killing millions is actually getting worse. An eye-opening work that follows the lives of people battling malaria and exposes the truth about the disease. If you were ever wondering if there is a global healthcare need, these films would help answer that question for you. Watch and recommend to friends who are seeking to understand what’s happening in the world around them.
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See you in the mission field!Sheri Postma, RNFounder & CEO
Mission Partners for Christ
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