'Selfish' - Doctors Without Borders NGO holds first film event
You will get some idea when you watch "Selfish", which will be screened at GSC in Mid Valley Megamall on Aug 19 and 20 as part of the first ever Doctors Without Borders Film Screening event.
"Selfish" is a documentary that attempts to answer those questions but also offers viewers an insight into the lives of 40 humanitarian workers as well as their family members.
As these brave men and women work during trying times, such as a war and the pandemic...
Ever wonder what goes on behind the minds of humanitarian workers who labour under terrible conditions and witness unspeakable things daily?
You will get some idea when you watch “Selfish”, which will be screened at GSC in Mid Valley Megamall on Aug 19 and 20 as part of the first ever Doctors Without Borders Film Screening event.
“Selfish” is a documentary that attempts to answer those questions but also offers viewers an insight into the lives of 40 humanitarian workers as well as their family members.
As these brave men and women work during trying times, such as a war and the pandemic, and cope with insurmountable situations such as disease and hunger, we listen to what motivates them to do what they do.
The result is an original and intimate documentary that provides a fascinating insight into the inner worlds of humanitarian workers, both in the field and when they step away from the action.
Laurence Hoenig is one of the four directors involved in making the documentary, alongside Stephane Santini, Geraldine Andre, and Pierre-Yves Bernard.
Hoenig joined Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders) when she was 24.
After years in the field, carrying out different missions, she joined its operational centre in Geneva as part of the communication team, while continuing to cover emergencies in the field.
This mother of two often asked herself questions about commitment and why people decide to put their lives on hold and leave for missions.
After discussions on this topic with the three others who eventually co-directed the film with her, the idea of making “Selfish” was born.
Rare focus on humanitarian workers
“All humanitarians have already thought about their commitment. Why did I leave? Why do I take this risk?
“These questions are rarely shared and expressed, so we wanted to address them through a documentary,” Hoenig told Malaysiakini.
She said shooting the film on-site and on missions started in November 2018 and ended in November 2019. Preliminary interviews in Geneva started in January 2018.
The shooting took place across eight countries: Belgium, Cameroon, France, Germany, Lebanon, South Sudan, Switzerland and Tanzania.
“Documentaries on the humanitarian world often focus on a specific context, crises or regions, but very rarely on humanitarian workers themselves.
“It is also reportage and not documentaries that tell the reality of the population hit by crises.
“It was important to give a voice to humanitarian workers, but also to their loved ones, to better understand their commitment and the mechanisms that push people to go on the mission,” Hoenig explained.
“An original and intimate documentary, ‘Selfish’ provides a fascinating insight into the world of humanitarians. It tells the complexity of the choices to go on a mission through personal experiences,” she added.
The documentary is already available to be streamed online.
“People were very moved and touched by the straightforward and intimate stories. Both humanitarian workers and relatives were able to recognise themselves in the testimonies,” Hoenig said.
“One of the most memorable moments was in South Sudan when we went to the family of Ezibon, one of the staff portrayed.
“The interviews with his mother and his brother were very moving and witnessed how proud they were of his choice to become a humanitarian working away from home.”
Asked what she hopes people will take away with them when they watch this documentary, Hoenig said, “We hope people will get rid of this idea of ‘humanitarian heroes’ and better understand the power of commitment.”
