Precious Life (2010)
Directed by Shlomi Eldar
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Biography, Medicine, Religions & Belief Systems, Social Issues |
Run Time - 82 min. |
Countries - Israel |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Nathan Southern
At once a plea to end human suffering and a ray of hope for Israeli-Palestinian harmony, journalist Shlomi Eldar's documentary Precious Life chronicles the plight of Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a four year old Palestinian boy born without an immune system, who will die in an Israeli hospital if he doesn't obtain a bone marrow transplant within a brief period of time. Not only does Mohammad succeed at getting the treatment he needs, his case manages to pull Israeli and Palestinian doctors together, who make a concerted, joint effort to save the child's life, putting aside their racial and religious differences in the process, despite the Gaza embargo. Meanwhile, Mohammad's mother, a woman named Raida, both draws scathing criticism from the Gazan community, and alienates others by espousing her sympathy with Palestinian terrorist bombers. This leads Eldar himself - and the audience - into a deep-seated ethical quandary about saving the life of a child who may well grow up to be an extremist, sacrificing his own life to kill others.
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Keywords
community, dilemma, doctor, Israeli [nationality], moral-conflict, newborn, Palestinian [nationality], transplant