We Are the Ones 2014
Distributed by Collective Eye Films, 2305 SE Yamhill Street, Suite 101, Portland OR 97214; 503-232-5345
Producer n/a
Directed by Michael Skinner and Jon Michael Shink
DVD , color, 62 min.
Middle School - General Adult
Health, Sociology
Date Entered: 10/15/2015
Reviewed by Kay Hogan Smith, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi would have recognized his words in action as portrayed in this poignant documentary of health care workers in war-torn South Sudan. Focusing on two men, Francis Gai and Ajak Abraham, and their missionary surgeon instructor Glenn Geelhoed, their daily work with patients in a clinic in one of the three main tribal regions in the area is complicated by the deadly conflicts over scarce resources. The distrust among the tribes is so deep that a patient in a warring tribe fights against the very doctors who are trying to save his life in one memorable scene. When the violence comes close to the clinic in the form of vicious, deadly raids on neighboring women and children, Ajak and Francis realize that they must address that problem if they hope to make a difference in the health of their communities. In one scene that exemplifies the word, “grace,” Ajak discusses with Glenn the human needs driving the attacks on his town by an enemy tribe. So, they visit those tribal leaders in their own territory, promoting peace through health care for those people in addition to their own.
We Are the Ones is a beautifully realized work of art in addition to social statement. The production values are excellent, and the film moves with the elegance of brightly colored native fabric. This documentary would make a wonderful addition to any global health or sociology collections.