Director Poh Si Teng Shares Insightful Film on Volunteer Doctors Helping Children in Gaza at CPH:DOX

Oscar-Nominated Producer Makes Directorial Debut with ‘American Doctor’ at CPH:DOX

Poh Si Teng, an Oscar-nominated producer, has made her directorial debut with the poignant documentary American Doctor, currently screening at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. The film addresses the catastrophic loss of life in Gaza following the conflict that erupted after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"I was very angry and then came despair," Teng shared during her talk at the CPH:Conference on Tuesday. "I didn’t know what to do with those emotions." Her feelings were intensified by the significant civilian casualties in Gaza, where tens of thousands have died since October 2023. According to a UN report, over 250 journalists have also been killed in the ongoing conflict, some of whom Teng knew from her previous work as a documentary commissioner for Al Jazeera English.

Reflecting on the targeting of journalists, she expressed her dismay. "A year into the genocide, it was very difficult to see people that I respected in the craft of journalism and Al Jazeera being targeted and executed," Teng told moderator Thom Powers, a podcast host and documentary programmer. She noted the lack of solidarity from the journalism community compared to other situations where journalists have faced oppression. "It’s like, what is happening here?” she questioned, alluding to a disconnect in the industry’s response.

Disturbed by the violence, Teng recounted a turning point in her career. “I just felt like whatever I was doing at that time didn’t make sense anymore. I needed to find something else,” she recalled after attending a speech by Dr. Mark Perlmutter, an orthopedic surgeon who had volunteered in Gaza. Dr. Perlmutter, who has publicly criticized Israel’s military actions, spoke movingly about the plight of Palestinian children caught in the conflict.

This encounter propelled Teng to focus on American Doctor, which profiles three U.S. physicians volunteering in Gaza: Dr. Perlmutter, Palestinian American Dr. Thaer Ahmad, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon from California. When she began the project, Teng faced skepticism about its viability. “You’re not going to be able to make it… It will never happen," she was told. Undeterred, she asserted, “We shall see… I get a real thrill when somebody tells me it cannot be done.”

The journey proved financially challenging. Teng invested her life savings of $150,000 into the film, addressing her young daughter during the CPH:DOX talk, "This is all the money I saved for you… but maybe one day you will understand why." She rallied her collaborators to reduce their pay, including Oscar-nominated producer Kirstine Barfod and editor Ema Ryan Yamazaki. Six months into filming, Teng’s funds were depleted, which left her feeling crushed.

Support came unexpectedly from her home country. "A friend of mine from Malaysia said, ‘Look, we’re not divided on genocide here.’ I made two trips back home and we raised almost $200,000 in donations," she added.

By mid-2025, Teng observed a shift in public perception towards the conflict in Gaza. “Society in the U.S. had shifted and grants were made available to us… institutions are only made out of people, and people have changed. They’re not scared anymore," she noted.

American Doctor premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance before heading to CPH:DOX. It has also screened at festivals in Thessaloniki, Greece, and True/False Film Festival in Missouri, where Teng noted, "True/False was our biggest audience… and it was packed."

In the documentary, Dr. Perlmutter frames the issue as a public health crisis, calling for the medical community to recognize genocide’s impact beyond a mere geopolitical perspective. The film critiques the U.S.’s role as Israel’s primary military sponsor, prompting audiences to reconsider their complicity. “When [the screening] ended, people were like, ‘We didn’t know,’” Teng remarked. “What is our role as taxpayers of the United States? What is our role as citizens?"

American Doctor is set to screen again at CPH:DOX on Thursday and Friday, continuing its festival circuit. While Watermelon Pictures supports the film, distribution plans remain to be finalized.