American Doctor Review: A Devastating Film That Demands to Be Seen
American Doctor Review: A Devastating Film That Demands to Be Seen
From the 2026 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, director Poh Si Teng delivers a phenomenal feature debut that follows three American doctors risking their lives to save children in Gaza. It is heartbreaking, enraging, and impossible to forget.
Some documentaries stay with you long after the credits roll. Others leave you shaken, struggling to put into words what you’ve just witnessed. American Doctor, the extraordinary feature directorial debut from Poh Si Teng, does both.
Screening at the 2026 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, this powerful film follows three American physicians from vastly different backgrounds who volunteer to provide medical care in Gaza. They enter a world of unimaginable suffering, where saving a child’s life can become a race against impossible odds.
It is one of the most devastating documentaries I’ve seen. And one of the most important.
Three Doctors. Different Backgrounds. One Mission.
At the heart of American Doctor are three remarkable physicians: Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American emergency medicine specialist; Dr. Mark Perlmutter, a Jewish orthopedic surgeon; and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a Zoroastrian surgeon.
Their backgrounds could hardly be more different. Their commitment to saving lives brings them together.
Director Poh Si Teng follows these doctors as they confront the staggering challenges of providing medical care during the war in Gaza. Hospitals face desperate shortages. Patients arrive with catastrophic injuries. Children suffer wounds that no child should ever have to endure.
Some survive. Others do not.
The doctors work under conditions that would challenge even the most experienced medical professionals. Yet they continue, driven by an obligation to their patients and a refusal to abandon those who desperately need help.
Watching them struggle to save one life after another is both inspiring and emotionally overwhelming.
American Doctor Refuses to Let Audiences Look Away
From its opening moments, American Doctor makes something painfully clear. This film isn’t going to protect its audience from the reality of what is happening.
There are no convenient blurred images to soften the horror. No carefully constructed distance that allows viewers to remain comfortable.
The film confronts us with devastating images of injured children and the terrible human consequences of war.
And that decision matters.
By refusing to hide the suffering, Poh Si Teng challenges viewers to acknowledge what might otherwise be easier to ignore or deny.
These are real people. Real children. Real lives that have been shattered.
The footage can be extremely difficult to watch. I found myself heartbroken and enraged by what I was seeing.
But the power of this documentary comes from its insistence that we bear witness.
When Saving Lives Becomes a Public Fight
One of the most compelling elements of American Doctor is how the physicians’ work extends beyond the hospital.
They aren’t simply treating patients. They become witnesses and advocates, speaking publicly about what they have experienced.
We see their efforts to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis through television interviews, public appearances, and political advocacy.
Their mission expands from saving the patients directly in front of them to trying to prevent further suffering.
That struggle adds another dimension to the documentary. These doctors must navigate medical emergencies while confronting the political forces surrounding the conflict.
The film follows their work from Gaza to the United States, showing how the experiences of treating patients under such extreme circumstances continue to drive them long after leaving the hospitals.
A Phenomenal Directorial Debut From Poh Si Teng
What makes American Doctor especially remarkable is that it marks Poh Si Teng’s feature directorial debut.
This is an extraordinarily assured piece of documentary filmmaking.
Teng gives audiences a deeply personal look at three men facing circumstances most of us can barely comprehend. Their professional commitment is extraordinary, but the film never loses sight of their humanity.
The result is a documentary that feels urgent from its opening images through its final moments.
It is emotionally exhausting. It is infuriating. And it is an extraordinary reminder of what documentary cinema can accomplish when filmmakers refuse to look away from difficult truths.
At a time when images of suffering can become another item in an endless news cycle, American Doctor demands something more from its audience.
It demands attention.
Final Verdict: One of the Year’s Must-See Documentaries
I walked away from American Doctor devastated.
Even now, reflecting on the film, I find myself returning to the images, the doctors, and the children whose lives hang in the balance.
This is the kind of landmark documentary that deserves serious attention during awards season. I would not be surprised to see it enter the conversation for Academy Award consideration.
But awards are secondary to what this film achieves.
Poh Si Teng has made a phenomenal feature debut, and the three doctors at its center demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to saving lives against overwhelming odds.
If ever there were a must-see documentary, American Doctor is it.
I cannot recommend this film more highly.
American Doctor: Film Details
- Film: American Doctor (2026)
- Director: Poh Si Teng
- Featuring: Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa
- Genre: Feature documentary
- Runtime: Approximately 93 minutes
- Festival coverage: 2026 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
- World premiere: 2026 Sundance Film Festival
Frequently Asked Questions
What is American Doctor about?
American Doctor follows three American physicians from Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian backgrounds who volunteer to provide medical care in Gaza. The documentary explores their efforts to save lives and raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis.
Who directed American Doctor?
Poh Si Teng directed the documentary. It marks her feature directorial debut.
Who are the doctors featured in American Doctor?
The film follows Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa.
Is American Doctor difficult to watch?
Yes. The documentary contains graphic images of seriously injured patients, including children. Its unflinching approach is central to the film’s impact.