Precious Life is a powerful new documentary that has garnered international acclaim for its depiction of a hospital in Israel where prejudices are set aside for Israeli doctors to save the life of a Palestinian infant. Dr. Raz Someh is the central doctor in the movie and Metro got a chance to speak with him about his extraordinary experience during a trip to Toronto for the Israeli Film Festival.
The humble Someh was quick to admit he never imagined being a part of the project, “I couldn’t imagine my desperate letter asking to save this patient’s life would end in a film,” the doctor told Metro. “I quickly diagnosed his disease and knew the only treatment was a bone marrow transplantation. Since the Palestinian authorities did not want to cover the expenses, my hospital gave me 48 hours either to raise the money or send the patient back home to die. I sent out 100 emails, and fortunately Shlomi Eldar, who is a famous journalist in Israel, called me and said, ‘Let’s do a news broadcast and maybe someone will respond.’”
Very quickly, an anonymous Israeli donor agreed to fund the infant’s surgery and Shlomi Eldar decided to film the entire case as a feature length documentary rather than a simple news report. The film depicts a heartwarming moment of peace between the two sides of a seemingly never-ending and contentious war. It’s a story Someh was proud to be a part of and hopes it will inspire others.
“I think the film shows Israel in a way that you don’t often see. Living in Israel is not simple, but we should put all our efforts into finding a way to form friendship in an impossible reality. If people see hope in the film, there is a chance that one day we’ll be able to live in our region in peace.”
