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Geoffrey Smith’s multi-award-winning documentary centring on the work of Henry Marsh, a leading British brain surgeon Geoffrey Smith’s multi-award-winning documentary centres on the work of Henry Marsh, a leading British brain surgeon, and a pioneer of neurosurgical technique whose expertise provides a glimmer of hope to patients in impoverished post-Soviet Ukraine. Instrumental in creating a viable clinic in Kyiv that could offer hope to those who would otherwise go untreated, Marsh literally holds the power of life and death in his hands, provoking inevitable moral dilemmas. Grounded in compassion and humanity, this fascinating film unsentimentally explores the often complex relationship with his patients. Beautifully shot and edited, with a haunting score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, this powerful, emotive film shares the triumphs of Marsh’s successes and the profound sorrow of his failures. “Enthralling, astonishing... agonizingly human” New York Times“A lovely film, the best documentary for a long time” The Guardian

The English Surgeon (2007)
93 min
This documentary offers a glimpse into the life of an English neurosurgeon, Henry Marsh, situated in Ukraine, as we are exposed to the overwhelming dilemmas he has to face and the burden he has to carry throughout his profession.