Hunger Ward

Documentary about two Yemeni health workers fighting to stop the spread of famine against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film offers an uncompromising portrayal of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they try to save the lives of starving children in a population on the brink of famine.

A cruel documentary about child malnutrition, heartbreaking misery, real scenes, with undernourished children, inexplicable, absurd, that makes us question a lot about the future of humanity, I finished watching it with my goddaughter, who was touched... Yemen is in war since 2014, UN ranks as the worst humanitarian situation in the world generating 233 thousand deaths (10k only of children), war, drought, the pandemic and irregularities in gas imports by the war in Ukraine...

I watched Hunger ward the new documentary, which is directed by the Oscar-nominated director Skye Fitzgerald. It was good timing as Biden just announced that the United state will assert step up diplomacy to "end the war in Yemen", also, just days before the Biden administration removed Yemen's Houthi group from the terrorism list. I think it is good timing as it provides a perspective on how the war in Yemen discussed and portrait in nontraditional sours of news, which can be a reflection on what are the voices that maters and loud enough. The movie tells the story of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq who works in Aden, south of Yemen, and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi who works in Aslam, a town in the northwest of Yemen. It presents some faces and personal stories behind the massive campaigns of aid NGOs that flooded social media announcing the worst humanitarian crises. The movie attempt to generate empathy through These stories, it was sad and devastating, and for the majority of the movie, I really appreciate it. However, it was lazy. I wished that it followed the story of the individuals a little farther. I know it can be hard to do so, but that was the core of the movie and it deserved a little more attention. It is a short documentary that discusses personal stories to some limits and didn't highlight the many reasons for this crisis which is good enough. However, as lazy as traditional media the director chooses to shove a clip about an airstrike of funeral that happened in 2016. I couldn't understand the relevance of the clip other than a lazy attempt to highlight the war situation from one corner. How lazy is it to force a narrative without going through all the factors leading to the hunger crises in Yemen? Also, couldn't really go over the mistake in the Arabic spelling in the name of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq. In the end, it is frustrating how lightly we deal with what is happening in Yemen. American media talking about ending the war, and frankly, I can say naive empathy is dangerous, I learned that the hard way. You don't help by scratching the surface and framing a complex conflict from one point of view.

Art is powerful and we should treat it as such. It's not a project of merely tear-jerking to create empathy. It's about telling a story and aspiring for justice. The movie merely highlighted the hunger crisis and for the ones who follow the news coming from Yemen, it didn't go much beyond what you can see in news headlines.

This movie documented the heroic work of two Yemeni women health professionals fighting severe malnutrition among children. The movie maintained the dignity of the children and the families. It balanced the realities of dealing with children dying of hunger with the emotional heartaches of those dealing with it, families and health care workers. The film was made under extremely difficult war circumstances in two parts of the Yemen contorted by different fighting groups. I know the roads the team had to drive through and the many checkpoints they had to pass. It is a miracle that this film is made. I highly recommend this movie.

While many films are created as a means to escape from everyday realities, revolutionary and inspiring filmmakers like Skye Fitzgerald create documentaries that shed light on the horrors of our world. Hunger Ward is an extraordinary short-form documentary that follows the daily tribulations of two astonishingly brave individuals working to combat the hunger crisis in Yemen. This film, painful at times, exemplifies the necessity of nonfiction storytelling in cinema, as it begs for assistance for this struggling nation.

The country of Yemen has experienced many hardships brought about by a multi-sided civil war, and the effects of these struggles are most strongly seen in the children of the nation. Due to the neighboring country's failure to act and Saudi Arabia's constant pressure on the country, Yemen is left helpless. With an embargo on all sea and land imports, the nation has limited access to necessities such as food and medicine. Two inspiring women in separate hunger wards, Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and nurse Mekkia Madhi reveal the bravery found in working to combat the worst humanitarian crisis in our modern world.

Academy and Emmy Award nominee Skye Fitzgerald knew that in order to show audiences the dire need for support in Yemen, he would need to show the beauty that once was there. Through incredible cinematography and camera work, and beautiful aerial shots, audiences see Yemen not as a third world country or charity case, but as a full-fledged country worthy and in need of support. By focusing specifically on certain families and healthcare heroes, Fitzgerald is able to establish a personal connection to each of his subjects, allowing all viewers to feel empathetic for everyone involved.

The message of this film is brought about by the simple question that director Skye Fitzgerald asked when starting the project: how can a child go hungry in 2020? Hunger Ward shows us just how far we have to go as a global society, and how our lawmakers must do better at providing aid to these nations. The short film can be hard to watch for some, as there are graphic videos of bombing sequences, as well as two scenes depicting the loss of a child.

I give Hunger Ward 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 16 and up. An Academy Award contender, this documentary is available at certain festivals worldwide. Reviewed by Erin M., KIDS FIRST!

It's a decent documentary that could have been a lot better; it lasts 40 minutes and in that time it is very difficult to show many things; however, it is well done and shows us the sad reality of Yemen.