Female Filmmakers Focus Poh Si Teng on American Doctor
When despair threatens to silence the world, sometimes the most powerful act is to refuse to look away. This is the profound, urgent message woven into Poh Si Teng’s documentary debut, American Doctor, a film that transcends the boundaries of geopolitical conflict to expose the systemic failures that define our reality.
Filmed over a demanding year, the documentary tracks the journey of three American physicians—Dr. Mark Perlmutter, a Jewish American orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American emergency physician; and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a Pakistani Parsi trauma surgeon. These dedicated professionals volunteered their expertise at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza, navigating the daily horrors before and after the alleged 2025 ceasefire.
The film is not just a report; it is a deeply personal exploration of identity, empathy, and the agonizing reality of institutional discrimination. It follows these doctors as they engage with the crisis on the ground, and then back in the United States, advocating for a truth that demands to be heard.
Poh Si Teng, the director, brings a history of impactful storytelling to this monumental project. Having worked as a journalist for outlets like The New York Times and Al Jazeera English, and having produced Emmy-winning work, she understood the power of media to shape public consciousness. Yet, her decision to dedicate herself to this film stemmed from an overwhelming sense of urgency—a realization that the world needed to see the truth.
The genesis of the film was born out of raw despair and righteous fury. As Teng shared, facing the scale of the tragedy, she found herself grappling with the feeling of complicity. “As an American, I needed to speak out. We are deeply complicit in this war,” she reflected. The film became an act of bearing witness, refusing to let the world ignore the suffering.
The narrative centers on a stunning collision of identities. The doctors, representing different religious and national backgrounds, found themselves united in a shared experience of trauma and the stark realities of institutional barriers. Dr. Thaer Ahmad’s journey, for example, highlights the complex nature of identity: an American with Palestinian heritage who faces denial of basic human rights simply because of where he is born. This experience drives home the film’s core theme: the layers of discrimination that exist far beyond the immediate conflict.
Teng found her motivation in witnessing the profound injustice. The film masterfully uses the experience of the doctors to challenge the comfortable silence surrounding global events. By placing the medical drama framework within the context of Gaza, the film speaks to a universal truth: the love for life, the necessity of care, and the crushing weight of political indifference.
The documentary ultimately serves as a powerful reminder that even when facing overwhelming despair, acknowledging that feeling is the first step toward change. It underscores the Buddhist principle that emotions, though intense, are temporary; we do not have to hold onto suffering. By finding the courage to acknowledge the rage and the pain, the film invites viewers to move beyond paralysis and into meaningful action. It asks us to process the moments, to see the reality, and to find the strength to speak for those who cannot.
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