TEHRAN – A documentary portraying activities of a group of Tehran’s renowned doctors, who volunteered to give treatment for people living in Bashagard, a deprived area in the southeastern Iranian province of Hormozgan, has recently been completed.

Entitled “26° East”, the documentary has been directed by Amir-Mehdi Nejadnik.

“This documentary is initially about a visit a group of physicians and dentists paid to the region last summer,” Nejadnik said in a press release published on Monday.

“The film is composed of two chapters, the first of which familiarizes viewers with the residents’ simple lifestyle, shortages and problems facing the people in the region.

“And in the second chapter, the film portrays how the doctors have abandoned their offices in Tehran’s wealthy neighborhoods, adapting themselves to the harsh living conditions in the region to provide services to the deprived people.”

He expressed his hope that the film helps attract the attention of donors and officials to help improve living standards for the people.

He noted that the trip to the region was not the doctors’ sole mission and added that the group makes frequent visits to the region over the year.

The title of the documentary refers to the geographical location of Bashagard on the map.

“26° East” was broadcast from the Mostanad Channel, an IRIB network dedicated to screening documentary films.

Over the past few years, Iranian doctors and medical workers have engaged in doing volunteer work for the people in the deprived regions across the country and their activities have been highlighted by filmmakers.

“There, Dawn” is another example co-directed by Mohsen Jahani and Hashem Masudi in 2020.

The film is about a nurse in a hospital for burn patients who volunteers to work in an ICU for people with COVID-19 after the outbreak of the virus.

It won the special jury award at the 14th edition of Cinéma Vérité, Iran’s major international festival for documentary films.

Photo: A poster for the documentary “26° East” by Amir-Mehdi Nejadnik.

MMS/YAW