Directed by independent filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, "Baghdad ER" has its raw moments, both in the operating room and on rescue missions. (In an early scene, a medic deposits a severed arm into a plastic bag, presumably for disposal.)
But this is not a shock film, nor does it resemble that other, fictitious "ER." The camera observes, without judging or flinching or getting in the way. What results is a display of skill, dedication, efficiency and heroism on the part of the film's subjects.
It also finds flashes of normalcy: The docs have pirated cable so they can stay connected with ESPN. Once a week, they gather on the rooftop for a few hours of calm: Cigar Night. And in the operating room, they might even exchange a sick joke. "It helps keep us sane," a doctor tells the camera apologetically.
While these medical personnel may grimly remark on humanity's appetite for self-destruction, they put aside politics to do their job.
"The horrors of what man can do to man are visualized right here," declares Col. Casper P. Jones III. "But we do our best, our level best, to make sure our people survive and make it back to their homes."
You couldn't wish for better care for yourself. "Baghdad ER" is heartbreaking. But in unexpected ways it also will give you a lift. The one-hour film premieres on HBO at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday.
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