Dr. Thaer Ahmad spends time with his family before preparing for lawmaker lobbying and to go to Palestine. For now, he can’t go to Palestine, but his colleague, Dr. Mark Perlmutter can, packing several improvised supplies. Their third colleague, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, has similar preparations but his routine is much easier as a single man. These are the three titular subjects in Poh Si Teng’s documentary American Doctor, a 2026 Hot Docs viewer favourite. I have an almost strict ‘no rewatch’ policy that I’m breaking, and repeat viewings have its rewards. My previous piece highlighted the fact that these doctors are going up a steep hill and nonetheless having persistence.

The silver lining to watching a perfect yet harrowing film is comparisons to other things I watched. More than fifteen minutes in, the documentary captures Pelmutter as he packs, say, rubber bands for his work. Sure, they’re probably medical rubber bands as opposed to the hardware store ones I’m conjuring in my head. But I couldn’t help but compare that equipment to the ones I see in Crave/HBO’s The Pitt. Sure, Middle Turtle Island, also the home of our titular doctors, is a healthcare hellhole, but with supply access. American Doctor‘s scenes, though, remind its viewers that these physicians’ suitcases serve as a lifeline for Palestinians.

American Doctor, as the title suggests, follows the three doctors from Turtle Island to Gaza, Palestine and back. In doing so, it’s not a total depressathon, as there are moments when these doctors save young lives. This repeat viewing reminded me of when Sidhwa fixes a boy’s finger and how relaxed that scene was. The back and forth, necessary in the film like this, also captures the home front aspect of the genocide. As per my last viewing, Dr. Sidhwa’s reminder that a child in Gaza is more likely to die is so alarming. He and Dr. Perlmutter have to find the right words to convince the West that Palestinians are people.

The three medical practitioners in American Doctor also have to work as advocates for Palestinians. Again, Turtle Island and the Apartheid State only allow two of these doctors to enter the Gaza Strip. Usually, they perform operations on the children that some IOF soldiers cruelly, senselessly shoot at. When the doctors aren’t trying to fix medical problems through surgery, they appear in the media. They have to do that double work instead of resting, and after that, they return to heal sick people as part of their job. Even in multiple viewings, this documentary reminds us of the thankless work of these physicians.

American Doctor is available to watch in select Canadian theatres.