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UK, 2007, 94 Mins Directed by GEOFFREY SMITH Florida Premiere |
Titular humanitarian Henry Marsh is a talented London neurosurgeon who saw a need to improve the Ukraine's antiquated medical system and set about doing so. Geoffrey Smith's brilliant documentary presents Marsh's story as it is lived--matter of factly. We follow Marsh from London, where he wrangles with bureaucracy, to the Ukraine, witnessing firsthand the difficulties, failures, and frustrations, as well as the accomplishments, triumphs, and elation, both minute and enormous in consequence. Observed brain surgery cuts to the bone, but no more so than the matter-of-fact delivery of news that a four-year-old is permanently blind. We get to know patients, colleagues, and officials, all of whom seem deserving of our interest. But Marsh is front and center and rightly so. His self-deprecation, self-possession, and humor serve him well as he wrestles with his own moral dilemmas and lives with regrets without despairing. There's tense drama, heartbreak, joy, and laughter, with a soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. It's a no brainer: see this extraordinary, deeply moving movie and emulate Marsh, whose dedication puts us all to shame.***Note: This film contains graphic footage of an actual brain surgery--it is not for the squeamish.
