Open Heart

Director: 
Claire Fowler
Year: 
2006
22 minutes

Four years ago Iham and Jihad lost their third child on the operating table. Now their 9 month old son Jamal’s life is threatened by congenital heart disease, for which no affordable treatment is available. With the aid of the charity The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), a British surgeon’s arrival in Palestine offers hope for the future. But first the Samara family must travel from their home in the West Bank and through Israeli checkpoints to Makassed hospital in Jerusalem, before the real journey can even begin.

Open Heart is an emotional journey that highlights the plight of the struggling Palestinian health care system under occupation, from the perspective of Doctor, Patient and Humanitarian organisation.

© 2006 Chicago Palestine Film Festival, Middle East Cultural and Charitable Society