The Cave

The Cave follows the story of Syrian doctor Amani Ballour as she stays behind in the Al-Ghota region on the outskirts of Damascus. The documentary is a harrowing on-the-ground look at the doctors dealing with constant bombings from warplanes. The whirring sound of warplanes is a constant feature. To protect against the bombings, the doctors have built an underground cave tunnel system for the patients. This is a powerful film that shows the result of a government attacking its own people. Every time the camera cuts to an exterior shot, and I see hollowed out buildings and rubble, I have to remind myself that it's not a post-apocalyptic fictional set, but rather real life. The documentary shows the resilience of the doctors, peppered in with light moments of humanity - them celebrating Amani's birthday, or cooking. It is a powerful film.

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4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

If you consider yourself knowledgable about Syria and the civil war that has torn through the nation then you are certainly familiar with some of the documentaries that have come out with just harrowing footage. 'The Cave' is no exception. It's a hard and vivid watch. You wish it wasn't real. You wonder why a great nation like the US would allow these things to go on. Yet where do we go from here? Syrian film director Feras Fayyad has cobbled together a fantastic companion piece to his Oscar nominated 'Last Men in Aleppo'. What really strikes me is the treatment of women even during this crisis. We have a husband of a patient who is upset that a woman runs the hospital and even when a woman does the cooking of food that likely isn't fresh the men STILL complain. Beggars apparently CAN be choosers. The film profiles Amani Ballour, the aforementioned doc running the makeshift hospital. Look up hero in the dictionary and there's a picture of her. Final Score: 7.7/10

The Cave is an extremely important and vital documentary about the ongoing situation in war torn Syria. It's a very concise and extremely well made film about the area of Ghouta near Damascus that was a rebel stronghold against the Syrian regime. For many years it was bombed constantly by the regime with the support of Russian fighter planes. In this environment existed 'The Cave', an underground hospital to care for the countless wounded. The main doctor is Amani Ballour. Hers is a profile in courage. Not just her daily battle to save lives but also the battle in being a women in a charge in a patriarchal society. This film is often distressing to watch, but it is a great document of this unbearable suffering.

Oscar nominated documentary highlights a female doctor during the Syrian civil war. It is very hard to watch knowing there is no good ending to it.

This is the latest film by Syrian filmmaker Feras Fayyad, who made Last Men in Aleppo, the gripping film about the White Helmets, the men who risked their lives to rescue civilians from bombing-related rubble. This documentary follows Dr. Amani, a pediatrician and managing physician of the Cave, an underground hospital in a city near Damascus, as she struggles to keep her hospital running. Food, medicine, and medical supplies are dwindling (one of the surgeons plays classical music on his phone and asks his patients to relax during surgery because of the lack of anesthesia), and the increasing risk of chemical weapons forces them to conduct their surgeries below the ground. It is a powerful and inspiring story of a woman and her many female colleagues who fight against the Russian army as well as prejudice from their own patriarchal culture to ensure that as many people as possible, a large number who are children, can be healed. While the film is a bit difficult to follow sometimes, the images are striking; like For Sama, which has a similar subject matter, the visuals of the bombings and the scarred city are horrifying. There are many shots of children who have been damaged by bombings, chemical attacks, and loss of their parents. Big thumbs up for an important film that shows us the work of true heroines saving lives against great odds and, also like For Sama, presents important questions about the choices we make.

Troublesome religion is a heavy thing i don't know how they do it .

Pesado mas necessário....o que os seres humanos fazem uns com os outros....a médica que toma conta das pessoas feriadas num complexo de cavernas em Damasco. Tenso.

The Cave is a fine documentary that has important subject matter yet is very flawed. The story here is an important one. It is one that should definitely be more known. The film also has good intentions, and many scenes are pretty interesting. However, the film doesn’t do the best job getting the viewer invested in anyone. You don’t get to know most of the patients or doctors. This makes you care less about their struggle. Also, the film came out the same year as For Sama, which handles the subject matter much better. Overall, it’s fine for what it is, but you can do a whole lot better.