Within the corridors of a psychiatric ward in Beaujon hospital in Clichy, Paris, tensions run high. Every day, a steady stream of patients pours in, while resources are stretched pitifully thin. Through jagged handheld cinematography, Nicolas Peduzzi’s gripping and passionate documentary reflects the facility’s breakneck pace. Amid a flurry of frantic calls and rolling stretchers, a calm presence emerges: here comes Dr Jamal Abdel-Kader, the only staff psychiatrist in the building.
The camera trails after Abdel-Kader’s hurried steps as he splits his day between various departments, from the emergency rooms to the intensive care units. Despite his colossal workload – a result of crumbling infrastructure and lack of government budget – he devotes his full attention to each individual patient. Some are only in their late teens when they attempt self-harm and even suicide. Others have already spent a lifetime trapped in a cycle of addiction and depression.
