A short documentary about Dr. David Galler, an ICU doctor in Wellington. The film covers what it’s like to be on call in the intensive care unit: long shifts, high-stakes decisions, and a wardrobe of bright shirts that help him keep some part of himself separate from the work.
David traces his path into medicine: years driving buses around Wellington before his parents, Polish-Jewish refugees, pushed him toward a professional career. He talks about the strain of a public health system under load as staff morale wears thin and conditions worsen. From there he zooms out to the social determinants of health: housing, poverty, the conditions people live in long before they end up in his unit.
Won the student section of Doc Edge, 2017.