Gaza-Focused 'American Doctor' Screens At CPH:DOX In Copenhagen

Documentary explores U.S. physicians who volunteered to treat injured Palestinian children in Gaza

Mar. 18, 2026 at 9:38am

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A new documentary film called "American Doctor" is screening at the CPH:DOX film festival in Copenhagen. The film focuses on three U.S. physicians - Dr. Mark Perlmutter, Dr. Thaer Ahmad, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa - who volunteered their time to treat injured Palestinian children in Gaza during the ongoing conflict. The film's director, Poh Si Teng, was compelled to make the documentary out of a sense of outrage over the catastrophic loss of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment, invasion and blockade.

Why it matters

The film aims to shed light on the role of the U.S. as the chief military sponsor of Israel, and to encourage the medical community and the public to view the situation in Gaza as a public health crisis and a form of genocide, rather than just an abstract geopolitical conflict. The film has been revelatory for some audiences, who were unaware of the extent of the U.S. government's support for Israel's actions in Gaza.

The details

Poh Si Teng, an Oscar-nominated producer, made her directorial debut with "American Doctor" after attending a speech by Dr. Mark Perlmutter, an orthopedic surgeon in North Carolina who had volunteered in Gaza. Teng then convinced two other U.S. doctors - Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American from Chicago, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon from California - to participate in the film. Teng tapped into her life savings of $150,000 to finance the production, and later raised an additional $200,000 in donations from her native Malaysia when her funds were exhausted. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has since screened at several other festivals, including a packed screening at the True/False Film Festival in Missouri.

  • The film was made over the course of 2024 and 2025.
  • It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2026.
  • The film screened at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in Greece and at True/False in Columbia, Missouri prior to its showing at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen in March 2026.

The players

Poh Si Teng

The director of "American Doctor" and an Oscar-nominated producer who made a dramatic career pivot to focus on this film after being outraged by the catastrophic loss of life in Gaza.

Dr. Mark Perlmutter

An orthopedic surgeon in North Carolina who volunteered his time in Gaza to try to save the lives of children badly injured by Israeli weaponry, and who has become an outspoken critic of Israel's war in Gaza, declaring it genocide.

Dr. Thaer Ahmad

A Palestinian American doctor from Chicago who is one of the three protagonists featured in the documentary "American Doctor".

Dr. Feroze Sidhwa

A trauma surgeon from California with roots in Pakistan's Parsi minority that follow the Zoroastrian religious tradition, who is one of the three protagonists featured in the documentary "American Doctor".

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What they’re saying

“You're not going to be able to make it. It's not going to go off the ground… It will never happen”

— Poh Si Teng, Director of "American Doctor" (CPH:DOX)

“Look, I don't know how it is in the United States but come back home. We're not divided on genocide here.”

— Poh Si Teng's friend from Malaysia (CPH:DOX)

“We didn't know.”

— Audience member (True/False Film Festival)

What’s next

The film will continue to screen at festivals going forward, and distribution plans have yet to be determined.

The takeaway

The film "American Doctor" aims to shed light on the role of the U.S. government in supporting Israel's actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including many children. The film encourages the medical community and the public to view the situation in Gaza as a public health crisis and a form of genocide, rather than just an abstract geopolitical conflict.