Bending the Arc

If you've ever thought about what it takes to change the way the world works, this film shows you one way it happens. It tells the story of the people who started with nothing but the idea that everyone everywhere deserves quality healthcare, grew that idea into an organization proving it can be done, and eventually changed the minds of the worldwide medical establishment to include treatment of the poor as part of the baseline standard. Follow the protagonists from idealistic college students to founders of the medical group Partners in Health, delivering state-of-the-art treatment to the poorest in rural Haiti, to advocates for top-line healthcare delivery to the poor around the world. They showed it could be done and then demanded that the medical establishment revise its views about what is possible on a global scale. This inspiring and amazing tale of perseverance is told beautifully and poignantly, tracing the history up to present day health crises and the response of the people passionately driven to see that no one is left behind.

This film is inspiring, not just because of the incredible work done by its protagonists, but also because of the new way of thinking it presents around how healthcare should be delivered, not just for the poor, but everywhere. It is damning critique of the way in which we have thought about global health for years, and offers a perspective that will hopefully lead to more people empowering communities to build health systems that work for them and are not dictated by people who do not understand those communities. This film is an excellent piece of education for anyone interested in global health, international development, or medicine at large.

Documentaries are designed for education and enjoyment: this is one of the finest I have ever seen. I fell in love with the lead characters and their patients, and I learned so much that I did not know before. The stories are so very painful at times, heartbreaking at other times, but also joyful. The beautiful young man who was all but dead, but recovers and becomes all that he was meant to be had me in tears: he is the gentle symbol of the triumph of medicine and hope and love. This is a wonderful epic drama of the power of belief and team work to save lives: strongly recommended.