Dr Amani Ballour, Subject of Oscar-Nominated 'The Cave,' Receives Heroism Award

Courtesy of TIFF

Dr. Amani Ballour, the doctor whose underground hospital was the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Cave,” has been awarded the Council of Europe’s Raoul Wallenberg Prize for her work treating victims of Syrian bombings.

“Human rights and personal dignity are not a peacetime luxury. Dr. Amani Ballour is a shining example of the empathy, virtue and honour that can flourish even in the worst circumstances: in the midst of war and suffering,” said Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

“The Cave” follows the work of Dr. Ballour and her medical team at a field hospital built within a cave in her hometown of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. It is estimated that from 2016 to 2018, Ballour saved thousands of people who were critically injured by airstrikes and chemical weapon attacks, including those on nearby hospitals.

Also Read: 'The Cave' Film Review: Women Are Lifesaving Heroes in Syrian War Hospital Documentary

The violence finally forced Ballour to close The Cave and flee Syria, and today she lives in Turkey as a refugee. She has spoken out about the atrocities she has witnessed and the nightmares that have made it psychologically painful for her to do any further direct medical work with patients.

“There are children I cannot forget, it’s impossible to forget them,” Ballour told National Geographic, who is distributing “The Cave.” “There were children I’d treat in the pediatric ward (for asthma and other ailments) and then I’d see them when they’d been wounded. It was like working on family. I couldn’t look into their eyes when I worked on them. Sometimes I’d crash, I’d break down.”

The Syrian director of “The Cave” is currently unable to attend the Oscars as the U.S. State Department has denied his request for a visa. Fayyad, who currently lives in Copenhagen, was granted a three-month visa in September, but his latest one was denied because an executive order from the Trump administration prohibits citizens of Syria and six other predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S..

Also Read: 'For Sama' Is Named Top Doc at IDA Documentary Awards

When the Oscar nominations were released, Fayyad thanked the Academy for nominating “The Cave” for Best Documentary Feature alongside “For Sama,” another documentary about Syrians attempting to survive the ongoing bombings. He also lamented that his film even had to be made.

“The genocide still happening in Syria is one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time with hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions displaced, in large part because of the negligence of the world,” he wrote.

“I wish I was still in Damascus drinking coffee with my artist friends. I wish Dr. Amani was still a thriving young Syrian pediatrician. I wish little Sama was with her friends on a playground in Aleppo. I wish my parents hadn’t been forced to leave our childhood home in Idlip. But instead we are all dead or in exile, and my country as it was is lost forever. All I can do now is speak out, loudly, so this doesn’t happen again. And I will not be silenced.”

Several Hollywood groups, including the International Documentary Association, have publicly called for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to allow Ballour and Fayyad to travel to the U.S. to attend the Oscars. National Geographic tells TheWrap that Ballour also requires an exit visa from Turkey, which has not been granted. Producers Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær are currently set to attend the ceremony with members of the film’s production team.

Oscar Nominations 2020: 14 Biggest Snubs and Surprises, From Greta Gerwig to 'Klaus' (Photos)

Snub: Greta Gerwig, "Little Women" (Best Director) -- The Academy failed to nominate any female directors this year, which is bound to be a topic of conversation as the award show approaches. Greta Gerwig's retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic "Little Women" didn't land the director her second directing Oscar nomination since 2017's "Lady Bird," despite the film nabbing a nomination for best adapted screenplay.
Surprise: "Parasite" -- Director Bong Joon Ho's film became the first South Korean film to receive a nomination -- and managed to land a remarkable six nods altogether, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Snub: Awkwafina, "The Farewell" (Best Actress) -- Despite winning the Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy for her performance in "The Farewell," Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, was left out of Oscar contention. The true story about a lie a family tells their dying matriarch was Awkwafina's first dramatic turn on screen.
Surprise: Kathy Bates, "Richard Jewell" (Best Supporting Actress) -- Kathy Bates snuck in to nab a supporting actress nomination from fan favorite Jennifer Lopez. Bates turned in a stellar emotional performance as Richard Jewell's mother in the Clint Eastwood's film about the Atlanta Bombing investigation.
Snub: Robert De Niro (Best Actor) -- He may be the title character in Martin Scorsese's true-life crime epic, but the acclaimed actor failed to land one of the film's 10 nominations.
Snub: Jennifer Lopez, "Hustlers" (Best Supporting Actress) -- J. Lo turned in a dominating performance as the ringleader of a group of former strippers who steal millions from rich men. Lopez's performance garnered her a Golden Globe nomination, but she was overlooked by the Academy despite a seemingly strong level of support from the film community. The snub isn't Jenny's first time around the block. She was similarly passed over for her lead role in 1998's "Selena."
Surprise: "The Lighthouse" (Best Cinematography) -- The black-and-white indie with Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe landed just a single nomination, for Jarin Blaschke's black-and-white cinematography.
Snub: "Dolemite Is My Name" (Costume Design) -- Legendary costume designer Ruth Carter didn't land a nomination for her work on Netflix's biopic, despite being expected too. She won the category last year for her costume work on Disney's "Black Panther," and was the first African American to win the award.
Surprise: "Klaus" (Best Animated Feature) -- Netflix nabbed two animated feature nominations, with "Klaus" clawing its way into contention and knocking Disney's "Frozen II" out of the race.
Snub: "Frozen II" (Best Animated Feature) -- The sequel to Disney's biggest animated hit was considered a lock for a nomination -- but it lost out to lesser known cartoons like "I Lost My Body" and "Klaus."
Snub: Jamie Foxx (Best Supporting Actor) -- The actor, who won Best Actor for "Ray" in 2005, had been getting major acclaim for his work as a man on death row for a crime he did not commit in "Just Mercy."
Surprise: John Williams (Best Original Score) -- At age 87, the composer landed his record 52nd nomination for his work on "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
Snub: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Best Original Song -- The Grammy-winning songstress was widely expected to earn a nomination for "Spirit," the song she wrote for Disney's "The Lion King" remake in which she also voiced the role of Nala. But Academy voters looked elsewhere.
Snub: "Uncut Gems" -- The Netflix drama has won multiple critics prizes for directors Benny and Josh Safdie's direction as well as lead actor Adam Sandler -- but the Academy seemed unimpressed.