Nat Geo's "The Cave" Exposes the Daily Horrors of Life in Syria

As documented by filmmaker Feras Fayyad also a hero refugees in Eastern Al Ghouta Syria flee until they run out of land wind up in the sea and drown amp160Subjugated women cower as their children starve amp160A civil war rages as the regime bombs and gasses its hospitals amp160And all the while the world yawns amp160Were these plotlines for a feature film starring a slight woman attending children ravaged by warfare the screenwriter would be told amp8220This is too grim no one will believe itamp8221If only it werenamp8217t the truthIn the midst of this madness Dramp160Ballour and her team tend to an endless cycle of wounded men women and childrenamp160 A pediatrician she was also the manager of the title location an underground hospital situated in one of the many tunnels that snake beneath the wartorn city amp160For two years directoramp160Fayyad followed her acquiring some 500 hours of footage now edited into 144 harrowing minutesamp160 Fayyad incidentally also received an Oscar nomination for 2018amp8217s Last Men in AleppoNational Geographic secured visas for Fayyad and Ballour to attend the Academy Awards and bring further attention to the crucial messages of The Caveamp160 Ballour spoke with MediaVillage for her firstever 11 interview in the United Statesamp8220I want it to tell the truthamp8221 she said getting right to the pointBallour has no interest in being a celebrity amp160She even warned Fayyad he could not interfere in her work and was surprised the film centered on her amp160All that concerned her was the larger good of the rest of the world learning about the atrocities in Syria then actingamp8220I wanted to show the struggle of Syrian people to show that we are civiliansamp8221 she explained amp8220They lie when they say they are fighting terrorists amp160We are civiliansamp8221Itamp8217s too mild to label this documentary harrowing amp160Harrowing happens in the first seconds when viewers see the remains of Syria amp160Bombs detonate amp160Again amp160And againamp8220It really is scary being bombed all the timeamp8221 Ballour said in her matteroffact manner amp160amp8220They use all types of weapons chemical weapons amp160They try to bomb everywhere amp160They bombed a primary school with children amp160They targeted a crowd of people in shops amp160I was scared amp160I wanted to support the children who were afraid amp160It was very difficult to do that amp160We just work and work and try to do everything after one year two years three years under siege amp160We were afraid that we would all die and no one would see usamp8221The relentless bombing rattles buildings long abandoned in this horrific moonscape of a former city amp160While little life seems to exist above ground deep under the pitted streets the tunnels bustleamp160 Here Ballour preternaturally calm and her staff make do amp160Just being able to say amp8220her staffamp8221 is shocking for Syria where women are told they cannot do pretty much anything amp160Ballour has had enough of men bossing her around amp160In the film she tells an older brother to let his sister explain how she came to be bloodied and Ballour challenges a man who dares tell her she should be homeShe does what she can with what she has amp160As much as that is it is never enoughamp8220I had hoped that maybe when people can tell the story and see it they will help usamp8221 Ballour said amp160amp8220I want them to document the crimes amp160I want this story to help end the siege end the bombing amp160Nine years ago the revolution started and the regime started to torture people and bomb people amp160Russia and Iran decided to support Syrian President Bashar alAssad amp160And the international community does nothing for us amp160They are just watching and they are doing nothing amp160So these Russian and Iran and alAssad regimes continue killing peopleamp8221Those barely hanging on stagger or are carried into the Cave amp160The camera focuses on Ballour cradling a baby poking her finger in the childamp8217s mouth and fishing out a chunk of building material amp160The injured keep coming amp160It is an understaffed underfunded MASH unit except the wounded coming to her are often in diapersBallour sets her chin and keeps going day after impossible day amp160And while any frame of this film should haunt anyone with a conscience she shares with us the account of one boyamp8220When I try to help a child I try to just look at the wound and not the childamp8217s eyesamp8221 she revealed amp160amp8220It is very hard to hear the child amp160I remember a child fiveyearsold Mahmoudamp160 He lost his hand in a pipe bombing and I was his doctor amp160He knew me amp160When he woke up he said amp8216You are my doctor amp160Why did you cut my hand offamp8217 amp160And I said nothing amp160We try to be strong of courseamp8221They are beyond strong the few physicians suturing wounds and setting bones amp160There is no anesthesia but the surgeon plays classical music amp160They have nothing else amp160While the doctors piece together bodies more bombs rain downWhen Ballour ventures from the hospital itamp8217s to duck gunfire and pay a house call to a toddler whose cancer makes it too difficult for her mother to bring her to the Cave amp160Here again these situations sound too wretched to be in a feature film amp160And yet itamp8217s all trueA nurse who is also the cook washes surgical instruments in the kitchen sink amp160Somehow she stretches 11 pounds of rice to feed 150 people and tries to remain upbeat while PTSD has robbed her of any semblance of normalcyThe filmamp8217s lightest moment has Ballour chatting with a colleague about how sparse her eyelashes are amp160She admits occasionally experimenting with mascara but only at night when no one sees it amp160That sliver of vanity from a woman whose winter coat is her wardrobe prompted us to ask one Hollywoodtype question since she is heading to the Oscars amp160Has she given any thought to her gownamp8220I donamp8217t think about this I just arrived hereamp8221 Ballour replied amp160amp8220I do not care about what to wearamp160 amp160I donamp8217t want people to watch me for what I wear amp160I want people to watch what I care aboutamp8221What she cares about is helping her country amp160After chemical attacks and the constant bombing finally forced Ballour to escape she took refuge in Turkey amp160There she established a fund to support female leaders in conflict zonesFor those wondering what they can do Ballour suggested amp8220If they believe we are humans maybe they can talk to the politicians amp160People are suffering amp160I hope it will make change of course amp160On the humanitarian side donate to the people in the camps amp160Do any single thing they can do amp160Just believe we are humans and deserve to live in safe placesamp8220Stop bombingamp8221 she continued amp160amp8220Stop destroying the safe cities amp160I hope for more of course amp160I hope to get rid of this criminal and I hope to get democracy for Syria but I do not believe that will happen amp160I want people just to support the humanitarian side amp160They are humansamp8221Scarred from the atrocities she witnessed during her six years in the underground hospital Ballour wants to become a radiologist amp160And she longs to return homeamp8220I willamp8221 she said with a determination no one should doubt amp160amp8220I strongly want to come back amp160I am sure justice will be done amp160Someday we can rebuild our country amp160We need to get rid of himamp8221Since the Civil War began nine years ago an estimated 400000 Syrians have been killed and at least 67 million have become refugees amp160To put such a huge number in perspective that is roughly the population of NicaraguaBallour pressed her case that The Cave is not merely a snapshot of one dreadful eventamp8220I just want to say it is still happening nowamp8221 she saidamp160 amp8220These people need help please amp160If we think about each other the world will be a very good place to live in amp160If we just think about our own countries the world will be a very bad placeamp8221The Cave is available on demandClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Nat Geo's "The Cave" Exposes the Daily Horrors of Life in Syria

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Jacqueline Cutler

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Nat Geo's "The Cave" Exposes the Daily Horrors of Life in Syria

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