Hi. My name is Ali. I am an Afghan American Internal Medicine hospitalist doctor from Washington, DC. Approximately three years ago, I began feeling unsatisfied by the impact I was having on my patients. I worked hard for twelve hours a day, every day, with almost no days off, for many years, to try to save lives as best as I could. I found that no matter how much effort I put in, no matter what I did, the impact was minimal. Patients still got ill, and still passed away. I became disillusioned by the dichotomy of Western medicine, where illness had become a business.
From the Backpacking Doc Documentary
Chapter One, North Korea – 5:29
“The journey begins with a glimpse into the heart of the hermit kingdom of North Korea as one of the last American tourists before the Trump administration’s travel ban in response to Kim Jong Un’s nuclearization of the country.
Chapter Two, Philippines – 3:20
Continuing his travels through Asia, Ali arrives in the island nation of Philippines, amid a bloody war with ISIS, and Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. His path through the country leads him directly to the ISIS battlezone,
Chapter Three, Afghanistan – 6:45
“Next up, Ali visits his ancestral home of Afghanistan for the first time in his life, connecting with his parents after a year of travel to learn more about their family and national history.
From The Backpacking Doc Projects
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Producing a documentary series of high quality and substance can be difficult in many ways, but in this case, due to the travel required to film on multiple continents, it can be a challenge finding appropriate funding. I have funded this whole project out of pocket, but I’m now reaching the point where I need your assistance to continue. Please consider donating to help us complete filming and post-production to highlight a lot of very important causes that would not get exposure otherwise. Every dollar counts!
