Life Support documentary captures Gaza doctors’ testimony amid hospital collapse
Daniele Rugo’s documentary Life Support presents the testimonies of British and international doctors who worked in Gaza, offering what the film describes as a direct record of mass civilian suffering and the collapse of medical infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.
The 93-minute film, which premiered at Sheffield DocFest 2026, is largely built from footage filmed by doctors themselves while treating patients in Gaza. It shows hospitals overwhelmed by casualties, shortages of equipment, and repeated attacks that left medical staff operating under extreme conditions without electricity or adequate supplies.
The doctors featured—including surgeons, pediatric specialists, and emergency medics—describe treating large numbers of children, elderly patients, and displaced civilians. They also recount the destruction of hospitals and public infrastructure, which they say undermines basic conditions for human survival.
The film argues that the systematic targeting of healthcare facilities and civilian infrastructure contributed to what some contributors describe as genocide, though this remains a contested framing. The doctors say they saw no evidence supporting claims that hospitals were being used for military purposes.
Beyond the medical testimony, the documentary highlights starvation, displacement, and exhaustion among both patients and healthcare workers. It also features analysis from genocide scholars who discuss dehumanisation as a recurring feature of mass atrocities.
The film concludes by focusing on Palestinian medical staff who continue working under extreme conditions, portraying them as central to sustaining life amid ongoing conflict. It is set for wider release in UK and Irish cinemas in July 2026.
