ferenjidoctor

FERENJI DOCTOR

a film by Laurentiu Huianu

Fortunate as a filmmaker, I journey alongside medical teams on global assignments. Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation, marked my inaugural venture there. Concealing merely a compact JVC camera, stringent travel regulations prohibited additional gear. Within a week's span, I immersed myself in documenting a medical initiative, capturing the essence of this ancient nation, pulsating with history.

FERENJI DOCTOR

Pronounced: Fe-Ren-Ji Doctor

Meaning: Foreign Doctor

Filmed over three days at the beginning of 2018, in the middle of Ethiopia’s national elections, as anti-government protests were taking place on the streets following the resignation of Prime Minister Desalegn. Abiy Ahmed, an ethnic Oromo, was about to win over his challengers to become an aspirational Prime Minister for Ethiopia.

This film invites you to be part of the struggles and aspirations of some 112 million Ethiopians, as it follows Dr. Shohista Saidkasimova, Consultant Ophthalmologist, arriving from the UK and arriving in a country riven by unrest and poverty. It follows her as she struggles, with the help of the locals, to deal with and perform much needed surgical operations on hundreds of patients suffering from chronic eye conditions.

Dr.Shohista Saidkasimova

had chosen to spend her limited holiday time to visit Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, in an attempt to use her medical expertise to help “bring light” to a nation failed by a non- existent health system. 

"I was there to capture a moment in time."

Captured during a concentrated three-day period at the onset of 2018, amidst the backdrop of Ethiopia's pivotal national elections, the documentary was shot amid escalating anti-government demonstrations following the resignation of Prime Minister Desalegn. Against this tumultuous backdrop, Abiy Ahmed, an ethnic Oromo, was on the cusp of emerging triumphant over his rivals, poised to ascend as Ethiopia's transformative Prime Minister, evoking hope and aspirations.