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A Heartbeat Away

Directed by: Tal Barda
54 Minutes, 2015, Documentary

The story of an Israeli pediatric cardiologist sent to Africa to perform lifesaving operations in Tanzania, where every day five children die from heart conditions. Dr. Akiva Tamir and his team examine hundreds of children, of which only a handful can receive the treatment which will save their lives. When 6 year-old Julius arrives to the clinic in critical condition, Dr. Tamir is forced to choose whether to operate on the child, who has very little chances of surviving. Dr. Tamir and his team take the viewers on an emotional rollercoaster as they deal with the most serious question of who to treat and who will be left to die. The experienced physicians find it hard to detach from the emotional bond they share with their small patients. “A Heartbeat Away” is a riveting human drama, swinging on the pendulum between science and faith, hope and despair, life and death. In its center, human doctors who have been thrust to the position of Gods in the midst of Africa.

Credits

Director: Tal Barda

Producer: Dan Setton

Producer: Noam Pinchas

Producer: Yoram Benita

Cinematographer: Ronen Mayo