The Documentary Film & Discussion Series presents two films in the Ashland Library this summer. Admission is free. Viewers are invited to stay for discussion. All points of view are welcome. The event is held from 7:00 - 9:00 pm in the library Community Room.
Tuesday, July 27: Children of Gaza (48 min.)
In January 2009 over 1300 Palestinians were killed in Gaza. Around 300 of them children. When the ceasefire was declared, BAFTA winning film-maker Jezza Neumann arrived to follow the lives of four children over the course of a year. Through their eyes, and in their words, Children of Gaza gives us a unique insight into the impact of war on vulnerable young minds.
Despite the horrors they witnessed, Amal, 9, Mahmoud and Omsyatte, 12, and Ibraheem, 11, still have hope and humor whilst living in the ruins of the Gaza Strip. Increasingly isolated by a blockade that prevents anyone from rebuilding their homes and their lives, Children of Gaza is a shocking, touching, and uniquely intimate reflection on extraordinary courage in the face of great adversity.
Tuesday August 24: Why I Studied Medicine in Cuba (72 min.)
Did you know that a brigade of 350 Cuban doctors worked for ten years in Haiti and that after the earthquake Cuba sent another 650 doctors?
Cuba’s Latin American School of Medicine prepares new doctors at absolutely no cost to the students. Some 10,000 of them are studying there, and 1500 graduate every year. They come from 30 countries, including eight African nations. They have committed to serving the underserved when they become physicians. Presently, 120 U.S. students are enrolled at the School.
Dr. Lillian Holloway grew up in a rough neighborhood in West Philadelphia and worked as a certified nursing assistant before deciding to study medicine in Cuba. In exchange for a free medical education from the Cuban Government, she will return to her impoverished community to enter a residency training program preparing her either for family practice or emergency medicine.
Dr. Lillian Holloway spoke recently at the University of Maine about Cuban health care and about opportunities for U.S. students to study at the Latin American School of Medicine.
The Documentary Film & Discussion Series meets monthly every 2nd Thursday and 4th Tuesday for an in-depth look at important timely topics.
