The Cave

Feras Fayyad's 2019 documentary was shot in a field hospital dug in beneath Eastern Ghouta in Syria. Under siege, the hospital moved into tunnels to survive the bombing, and it is run by the paediatrician Amani Ballour. The film records two things at once: the treatment of the wounded who arrive after air strikes and chemical exposure, and Ballour's daily work against patients and colleagues who keep questioning whether a woman should be in charge. Fayyad has been open about his intent, describing the film in interviews as evidence he wanted preserved for a future demand for justice. It premiered in Toronto and was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary; Fayyad was refused a US visa during the awards season. Who it's for: viewers who want the civilian side of the Syrian war at first hand. Who it's not for: anyone who cannot watch injured children and the aftermath of a chemical attack, because the film does not spare either.