After bearing witness to the unprecedented horrors of an ongoing genocide,
a war surgeon emerges from Gaza calling for justice and accountability.
A feature-length documentary film by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi.
After 43 horrific days working round the clock under constant bombardment in the emergency rooms of Gaza’s Al Shifa and Al Ahli hospitals, British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, emerged to find himself as a face of Palestinian resistance.
With news footage of him pale and shell-shocked reverberating around the world, he spoke of a catalogue of horrors from lacerated bodies, to amputations without anesthetics, orphaned children with no surviving family, and the deliberate targeting of medics and hospital facilities.
This was Ghassan’s sixth and most horrific Gaza “war”. Why does he do it? Where does he find the strength to face it again and again? How does it impact his family? How do they process the risks he takes? The answer lies simply in their shared passion: Palestine, a passion they articulate through their support of his perilous humanitarian work.
Filmmakers Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, close friends of the Abu Sittahs, share that same passion. They were waiting anxiously for Ghassan to emerge from Gaza, following a long and terrifying journey through the night, to meet him in Amman. Determined to capture his raw emotions they began filming him the moment he arrived through the door. Following him to Beirut, Amman, London, Kuwait and Dubai, they and he explore their common State of Passion.
Ghassan receives the news that his friend and colleague has been shot
Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah is a highly praised and much accoladed British-Palestinian Associate Professor of Surgery and a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, with a reputation as one of the world’s leading specialists in craniofacial surgery, facial aesthetics, cleft lip and palate surgery, and trauma related injuries.
Dr. Abu-Sittah was born and raised in Kuwait. He completed his medical education at the University of Glasgow in the U.K. and his postgraduate residency training in London, where he underwent 3 fellowships: Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Kids (GOS); Cleft Surgery at GOS and a further fellowship in Trauma Reconstruction at the Royal London Hospital.
In 2012, he became Head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and Clinical Lead of its Pediatric War Injuries Program and War Injuries Multidisciplinary Clinic. In 2015, he co-founded and became director of the Conflict Medicine Program at Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut. He returned to the U.K. in 2020 to a practice in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the private sector.
He is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Center for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College, University of London and Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Conflict & Health Research Group at Kings College, University of London.
He is Clinical Lead for the Operational Trauma Initiative at the World Health Organization’s EMRO Office and serves on the board of directors of INARA, a charity dedicated to providing reconstructive surgery to war injured children in the Middle East, and on the Board of Trustees of the U.K.-based Medical Aid for Palestinians. He also serves on the U.K.’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) International Funding Committee.
Dr. Abu Sittah has published extensively on the health consequences of prolonged conflict and on war injuries including medical text books, “Reconstructing the War Injured Patient” and “Treating the War Injured Child.”
He has worked as a war surgeon in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, South Lebanon and during the 5 wars on the Gaza Strip. Dr. Abu Sittah arrived in Gaza on October 9th, 2023 and spent 43 days treating patients at al-Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals as the genocide was taking place. He was operating on wounded patients at al-Ahli when the hospital was bombed.
In March 2024, Dr. Abu Sittah was elected as Rector of Glasgow University.
In June 2024, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the American University of Beirut, and the university has recently established a Chair in Conflict Medicine in his name of which he was named Professor.
We are Forward Film Production, a small independent documentary film production agency at the forefront of creating compelling documentaries and short films highlighting human stories that matter, and calling for social justice.
Forward Film Production was founded in 2000 by documentary filmmaker Carol Mansour.
Our work reflects our concern for and commitment to playing our role as agents of change on issues of human rights and social justice, covering topics such as migrant domestic workers, refugees, environmental issues, mental health, prostitution and human trafficking, the rights of the disabled, war and memory, right to health, women’s rights, and child labor.
Justice for Palestine is a central issue for us that we aim to continue to highlight.
We believe in the power of film-making and visual storytelling in giving a platform to marginalized and under-heard voices to bring local and international attention to under-reported issues. We aim to inspire individuals, communities and societies to become agents and catalysts for change and innovation.
Our documentary films have screened far and wide, winning numerous prestigious international awards.
Director / Editor
Carol Mansour is an independent documentary film maker who is deeply passionate about issues of social justice and human rights and believes that film is an important medium that gives voice to the marginalized. After ten years of working in television, she founded Forward Film Production in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. With
Director / Editor
Carol Mansour is an independent documentary film maker who is deeply passionate about issues of social justice and human rights and believes that film is an important medium that gives voice to the marginalized. After ten years of working in television, she founded Forward Film Production in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. With over 24 years in documentary production, Mansour has covered the world from Sri Lanka to Lebanon to Yemen to Uzbekistan. She has achieved international recognition and honor for her films, with over one hundred film festival screenings and official selections worldwide.
Researcher/ Producer
Muna Khalidi holds a Ph.D. in health policy and planning, and with more than 34 years’ experience working in the social and health development fields in Lebanon and the region. She has worked with various development and health organizations assisting them to develop strategic plans and to design and develop programs.
Researcher/ Producer
Muna Khalidi holds a Ph.D. in health policy and planning, and with more than 34 years’ experience working in the social and health development fields in Lebanon and the region. She has worked with various development and health organizations assisting them to develop strategic plans and to design and develop programs. In 2011, she started collaborating with Carol Mansour on the research and production of documentary films dealing with issues of social justice and human rights, bringing her experience in the academic, public, private, and NGO sectors into the documentary-making field.
Editor
Raymond Aftimos is a film school graduate from IESAV-USJ and works as a filmmaker, editor, screenwriter and researcher. Since 2012, and apart from his personal projects, he has been active in both theatre and filmmaking and has contributed, mainly as a freelancer, to several works, under the direction of creators such as Philippe A
Editor
Raymond Aftimos is a film school graduate from IESAV-USJ and works as a filmmaker, editor, screenwriter and researcher. Since 2012, and apart from his personal projects, he has been active in both theatre and filmmaking and has contributed, mainly as a freelancer, to several works, under the direction of creators such as Philippe Aractingi, Betty Taoutel, Lina Abyad, Émile Sleilaty, Carmen Labaki, and now Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi. He is passionate about entertainment, performing arts and music, but also equally enjoys crafting archive, portrait and historical documentaries. In 2024, he began collaborating with Forward Film Production, adding his editing input to their efforts in conveying Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah’s voice for Gaza and fight for justice and dignity.
Visual Artist
Fourate Chahal holds an MA in independent filmmaking and is an experienced editor specializing in graphics and animation. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in cultural studies in Germany, where she delves into the cultural and political meaning of surreal elements in Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian cinema. In addition to he
Visual Artist
Fourate Chahal holds an MA in independent filmmaking and is an experienced editor specializing in graphics and animation. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in cultural studies in Germany, where she delves into the cultural and political meaning of surreal elements in Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian cinema. In addition to her academic pursuits, Fourate is an accomplished illustrator, expressing her creativity through various artistic mediums. Her expertise also includes directing segments for TV; however, she has recently shifted her focus to freelance projects and her doctoral research.
Impact Producer
Samira is a human rights advocate and impact producer with 14+ years of experience in human rights and advocacy. She is experienced in training, monitoring human rights violations, and visual storytelling. Samira is a skilled impact producer, crafting compelling narratives that challenge the status quo, bringing individual
Impact Producer
Samira is a human rights advocate and impact producer with 14+ years of experience in human rights and advocacy. She is experienced in training, monitoring human rights violations, and visual storytelling. Samira is a skilled impact producer, crafting compelling narratives that challenge the status quo, bringing individual stories to the forefront, and inspiring collective action. Her diverse background encompasses psychology, public health, human rights, and visual anthropology. She is a member of the Global Impact Producers Alliance. She mentors filmmakers and journalists in creating impactful campaigns.
Assistant
Riam El Hakim is a young media and communications graduate who has recently kickstarted her journey in independent film-making at Forward Film Production. She has recently completed a Master’s degree in Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London and has previous experience in content writing and journalism. Wi
Assistant
Riam El Hakim is a young media and communications graduate who has recently kickstarted her journey in independent film-making at Forward Film Production. She has recently completed a Master’s degree in Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London and has previous experience in content writing and journalism. With her background in communications, an interest in story-telling and a dedication to social justice issues and human rights, she believes in the importance of documentary film and the larger impact it can have.
10 months on, and the killing, maiming, and destruction continues. In Gaza, a genocide is unfolding in sight of the entire world. In Palestine scores are being killed and dispossessed daily.
As documentary filmmakers, we put our knowledge and expertise in the service of story-telling, in hopes that more and more people begin to recognize the historical injustice that has been ongoing for decades and the continuing horror and criminality being inflicted on Palestinians.
Starting from the story of one individual, albeit an exceptional person, we tell the story of what it is like to be Palestinian, living in a state of permanent passion for a homeland and a life that could and should have been.
As soon as Ghassan Abu Sittah told us that he was about to leave Gaza for Amman, we jumped to start documenting Gaza through his eyes. This was totally unplanned and we moved ahead on passion and the momentum of the urge to be useful. We reached out to friends and colleagues across the world, who stepped up to support us in the production phase. Their support has been instrumental in getting us this far.
We have now reached the final stages of post-production. Colleagues have been helping us with music composition, sound design, color correction, graphics & animation, archive acquisition, and translation & subtitling at reduced rates and on trust that we will cover the costs of these services as soon as we raise the funds.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Any and all revenue from screenings will be channeled to The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund for the treatment of war wounded children from Gaza.
Al Mawla Building, 3rd Floor Hamra Street, Hamra Beirut, Lebanon
info@forwardfilmproduction.com +961 3 420 432 +961 1 354 451
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