by Henry Pham
American Doctor is a new 94-minute documentary film released in 2026. It follows three American doctors – Jewish American orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter from North Carolina, Palestinian American emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad from Chicago, and Zoroastrian-Pakistani trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa from California – who selflessly (and sacrificially) entered Gaza to save lives. As they travel to Gaza during the time of conflict, however, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything in their lives to expose the truth.
Oscar nominee Poh Si Teng directs and produces this documentary tale. To those who don’t know, she produced her documentary short St. Louis Superman, released in 2019, for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short Film. The short film follows former politician Bruce Franks Jr., who became an activist in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. It also follows his time in state government and his struggles with unresolved childhood trauma, including witnessing the death of his nine-year-old brother in a shooting.
With Si Teng’s direction, this documentary story is difficult to watch but is powerful and necessary. It depicts the reality on the ground in Gaza from the perspective of doctors who sacrifice their time to help and work in Gaza, despite the risk to themselves. Despite this, these doctors demonstrate dedication, heroism, integrity, and courage in their medical mission for adults and children.
The editing by Christopher White and Ema Ryan Yamazaki is well done, and the cinematography by Si Teng, Ramzy Haddad, and Arthur Nazaryan also adds a great balance and depth to this documentary. Although it is unsettling for children, it’s an important film for everyone (especially Americans and professional film critics), regardless of your political views. It also shows the power of medicine and physicians as important advocates, and it’s all about making sacrifices and taking risks – the film’s highlights. It is never about jumping to conclusions or taking shortcuts.
You’re probably thinking that documentary films are boring. They’re not, since you don’t have a variety of films besides superhero or action films. In fact, American Doctor is truly an inspiring documentary movie, and it’s where we need to put politics aside and focus on helping the people who need our help – both medically, physically, and mentally. If you are a human, this movie is a must-watch for you and your loved ones. And don’t let that stop you from choosing this film, from saying “I have work” to making any excuses whatsoever. It’s engaging, and I’m sure this will go on to become one of the top choices to receive award nominations of any kind, most notably the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film in 2026.
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