The Cave

It's a great documentary with so many human messages from the start.

Its production values are very good and it's a well-made one.

Sacrificing, danger, fear, war, politics, life and death are among the few themes that you can look through this documentary with the film-maker.

There was another reason that makes watching this documentary hard for me, besides its disturbing imagery which was the fact that my corrupt government is behind all of these and is supporting Bashar al-Assad and its allies to crush Syrian people like this... It's very hard for me to even think about this!

We have so many problems in Iran with our government and they're doing these horrible activities abroad also.

Hope all we can live in a world without these dictators and these totalitarian governments someday...

This poignant, important documentary is one of the most important pieces of filmmaking of our time. Everybody should be made to watch this as it depicts the atrocities that man is capable of. Set in a Syrian hospital during the ongoing humanitarian crisis of the Bashar regime, Dr. Amani and her team battle relentlessly in their bid to help the war injured. Under immense pressure and with little medical necessities, this team are true heroes. This documentary will have you crying, laughing and smiling throughout this true rollercoaster of emotions. The work of these people are admirable to remain in hell and continue to help, whilst others flee. Dr Amani faces not only the struggles of war and separation from family but also societies norms in a antiquated male heirachy where women are seen as inferior.

I urge you to see this great, great film. Despite the harrowing danger, the devastating destruction, this is one of the most uplifting films I've seen in years.

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the last Academy Awards, The Cave is another hard-hitting account of the humanitarian crisis created in the wake of Syrian Civil War, and concerns a group of doctors as they try to save civilian lives with limited medical resources in an underground makeshift hospital.

Directed by Feras Fayyad, his documentary offers ample evidence of war crimes committed by Bashar Regime against its own citizens, including use of chemical weapons, but the presentation isn't up to the mark. Several segments look as if they were rehearsed before filming, and are lacking the spontaneity that makes them click.

Amidst the daily airstrikes & bombings, it also sheds light on the systemic sexism as even in an environment where death lurks above, a man feels an obligation to tell a female doctor why she should be at home instead of trying to save human lives. But this element is also later overplayed by the director as if he just wanted to drive a point home.

Like any documentary covering the subject of war, The Cave is graphic, disturbing & uncomfortable. Yet unlike most Syrian documentaries, it has a more polished & refined quality, almost like a feature film shot in an active war zone. It is also way more focused on a single person than the collective effort yet unlike For Sama, it is lacking that raw, personal touch.

Overall, The Cave is as gripping as it is heartbreaking but its impact is rather short lived. There are some tense moments that are expertly documented, including the gas attack that's just soul-shattering, but its narrative lacks a compelling structure and becomes repetitive after a while. Bringing to light the brutal reality of doctors operating in labyrinth of caves beneath a war-torn city, The Cave is worth a shot.

A raw, brutal testimony of those that were left behind. The cinematography is outstanding. The sound is chilling. A portrait of humankind at both its worst and best. Certainly one of the hardest things I've ever watched, yet doing so might be our only chance to show respect for the heroic healthcare professionals and civilians depicted. It shook me to my core.