Hunger Ward (2020)

4 Stars (out of 4)

Feed by Example

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Documentary filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald follows up his Lifeboat (2018) with this even more powerful work, and has earned his second Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short. The 40-minute Hunger Ward takes us to Yemen, inside two different therapeutic feeding centers, battling the effects of a nationwide, near-famine. The film succeeds in that it takes on a subject that is very difficult to look at, and yet looks at it in a way that makes it not only visible, but also somehow beautiful. We meet Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi, both of whom demonstrate a special kind of kindness and resilience to match their exhaustion and frustration with the situation. One little girl, Abeer, is seen helping other little children in the hospital, helping to feed them or get them something to drink; she may even have been inspired to grow up to become a doctor herself someday. She elevates this documentary into something heroic. Meanwhile, This is an excellent, truly eye-opening film. See the film's Official Page for more info.