Hi everyone!
Welcome back to Documentary Thursdays! I’m staying on the African continent after last week’s “City of Joy” (Episode #256). For other films about goodness in the midst of chaos, check out “Last Men in Aleppo” (Episode #032) about the effects of war on Syria, and “Human Flow” (Episode #074) and “Fire at Sea” (Episode #151) about the ongoing refugee crisis. Also, today’s film was produced in part by Shriver Media, headed up by Maria Shriver. For another documentary they produced from earlier this year, check out “Take Your Pills” (Episode #081). And if you have any suggestions, let me know at onemoviepunch.com.
And now...
Today’s movie is “The Heart of Nuba” (2016), the documentary directed by Kenneth A. Carlson. The documentary follows the efforts of Dr. Tom Catena in the Nuba Mountains in southern Sudan, working tirelessly to heal those affected by bombings from the current government, and has come to care for the Nuba people.
Spoilers ahead.
And a serious trigger warning for folks considering watching this movie. While last week’s documentary talked about some graphic stories of rape and abuse, this documentary shows some very graphic footage of multiple war injuries and difficult operations. It is not for the faint of heart, so if those images bother you, stay well away from this documentary, or be prepared to look away. This review should be okay, however.
I don’t exactly know how to summarize the situation in the Sudan for folks who aren’t familiar with the region. It’s been a complex mesh of no less than three civil wars, the horrific and ongoing war in and around Darfur, and quite a few autonomous and aligned groups claiming jurisdiction over various areas. Not really something for a three to five minute review, but it is critical to understanding the story of Dr. Tom Catena and his ongoing work with the Nuba people in South Sudan. So, for the sake of brevity, the Nuba people have lived in peace for years, and Omar Al-Bashir, the current president of Sudan, has been bombing the villages and infrastructure in their region, along with denying access for medical care and supplies. Which makes Dr. Tom Catena’s efforts at Mother of Mercy hospital to treat those affected by these bombings, not to mention treating wholly preventable diseases, all the more difficult.
Dr. Tom Catena is the kind of Catholic practitioner I have always admired, those who don’t simply pray for change or to ease suffering, but actively choose to get involved with the works so essential to Catholic teaching. I have nothing but admiration for the doctor and his works, especially in that part of the world. “The Heart of Nuba” is, ostensibly, Dr. Catena’s story, from his early years, to his initial education, then sudden transfer into medicine, and ultimately finding his purpose for the last few decades. It is an inspiring story, and an example of the kind of reparations necessary for years of colonial wealth extraction and occupation causing many of the ongoing conflicts in the region.
However, this film also has a lot of problems that ultimately take away from the better parts of Dr. Catena’s story. The occasional detours to explain the politics and culture can be jarring, and seemingly unconnected to the overall narrative. The film also has some incredibly graphic video of war injuries, difficult surgeries, and dead bodies, so much that it begins to feel like disaster porn, almost exploitative. I also found the fever dream sequence to be out of step with the rest of the documentary, not really well edited, and felt like a pet project, especially when juxtaposed against a horrific trauma surgery, or the very real fear of a bombing in progress. I do believe these stories need to get out, because they are war crimes happening in real-time, but I don’t like those stories being used as part of a biographical documentary about Dr. Catena, at least not in this way.
“The Heart of Nuba” (2016) is a difficult and graphic documentary about one man’s efforts to treat the residents of the Nuba Mountains in southern Sudan. While there is much to admire about Dr. Catena’s story, the film struggles with storytelling and perhaps too many graphic scenes. Fans of documentaries about hope in hopeless places should definitely check out this film, but be ready for perhaps the most graphic scenes I have seen all year.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 66
One Movie Punch: 6.4/10
“The Heart of Nuba” (2016) is not rated and is currently streaming on Hulu.
