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‘Selfish’: a humanitarian film by Doctors Without Borders

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The NGO recently held a screening of the 2020 documentary that provides insight into the lives of 40 field workers as well as their loved ones.

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Free Malaysia Today
In ‘Selfish’, 40 aid workers talk about themselves, their convictions, doubts, weaknesses, fears, and their decision to get involved in this kind of work. (Doctors Without Borders pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:
Despite progress in helping humankind achieve better quality of life, there are still countless people all over the world who undergo crises involving violence, death, displacement, food scarcity, and reduced access to health services.

In response, there are those who selflessly risk their lives by volunteering in these conflict zones.

Among them are the field workers of Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organisation that provides emergency aid to those affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusions, and natural as well as man-made disasters, irrespective of race, religion or political conviction.

The NGO also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) held a film event last Friday and Saturday at Golden Screen Cinemas in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur, with a screening of “Selfish” (“Egoiste”).

The 56-minute-long documentary, which premiered in 2020, provides insight into the lives and motivations that drive MSF field workers who partake in dangerous humanitarian missions.

Shot in eight countries including South Sudan and Tanzania, the poignant and intimate documentary includes the perspectives of the field workers’ spouses, children, and other loved ones who are left behind.

Free Malaysia Today
‘Selfish’ provides intimate insight into the lives of field workers and how they cope with the aftermath of their experiences. (Doctors Without Borders pic)

It further explores how the aid workers deal with the aftermath of having been in disaster zones as they try to reintegrate into society, “speaking without reserve about the risk, the commitment, the first mission, the sense of powerlessness, the encounters, the passion, the return home, and the unspeakable things they’ve witnessed”, according to film director Stéphane Santini.

As for the title, “listening to oneself in order to help others could be perceived by some as an egotistical approach, like any other decision regarding a life choice or a course of action”, Santini explained in his director’s notes.

As such, “Selfish” is also aimed at ridding the notion of “humanitarian heroes” and instead highlighting the power of commitment to one’s cause.

After the screenings, three field workers shared about their own experiences of humanitarian missions with MSF. They were Malaysian trauma surgeon Ashok Kannan and anaesthetist Mafietz Mamat, who were deployed to Yemen and Afghanistan, respectively; as well as Lucy Lau from Hong Kong, a mechanical engineer who currently coordinates MSF projects in Penang.

Free Malaysia Today
Shot in eight different countries, the film also includes the perspectives of the humanitarian workers’ loved ones. (Doctors Without Borders pics)

Founded in 1971 by a group of journalists and doctors during the war and famine in Biafra, Nigeria, Doctors Without Borders has about 63,000 members comprising health professionals, logistics personnel, and administrative staff in 160 countries.

The non-profit body has over seven million donors worldwide that contribute to more than 97% of its funds.

Having been in Malaysia since 2004, MSF provides general healthcare and mental health support to refugee communities, asylum seekers, and stateless people through its clinic in Butterworth, mobile clinics in Penang and Kedah, as well as activities in detention centres.

It also provides support to survivors of sexual violence, including victims of human trafficking.

Click here for more information on Doctors Without Borders and how you can contribute to its efforts.

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