Precious Life

Released May 5, 2011

1h 27m

Documentary

List

100%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A prominent Israeli journalist documents the struggle of an Israeli pediatrician and a Palestinian mother as they try to get treatment for her baby who suffers from an incurable genetic disease.

David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

The issues in this particular conflict are immensely difficult ones, but, despite the film's flaws, this is quite an inspirational story among all the bad news from that part of the world.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 19, 2011

Full Review

Stephen Cole

Globe and Mail

The engrossing story of a Palestinian infant with a rare and deadly disease who can only be saved by a Jewish doctor in the Tel-Hashomer Hospital in Jerusalem.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 7, 2011

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

An enthralling experience.

Sep 11, 2010

Full Review

Simon Foster

sbs.com.au

The thematic dimensions of its hostile locale are gripping, but the heart of the film belongs to a little boy. It is his struggle, and not those over borders and ideologies, that emerges as the most crucial.

Jul 24, 2011

Full Review

Cara Nash

FILMINK (Australia)

Eye-opening and often devastating, this documentary challenges audiences to confront and question their own biases and assumptions.

Jul 19, 2011

Full Review

Andrew L. Urban

Urban Cinefile

The best of man and the worst of man - side by side and face to face ... one of those stories about the human condition that gives us both hope and reason for despair

Jul 15, 2011

Full Review

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Audience Member

As an Israeli, who got the talk to the movie maker after watching it, I relate to it (Or disagree) on so many levels. Great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Cuts right to the cute little cuticles of the debate: the humans on either side of the wall.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A beautiful movie, outstanding.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a fascinating documentary on how medicine and a child's health can transcend politics and war. I found it fascinating how the filmmaker (an Israeli journalist) gradually changed through the course of the movie. He started by telling the story fairly objectively, then clearly became more and more involved emotionally in the lives of this child and family. I strongly recommend watching this film!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautiful film that provides the strange complications of the Arab Israeli conflict. Israeli doctors fight to raise money for treatment for a young Palestinian boy with an auto immune deficiency. The funding is provided by a person whose son has been killed by a suicide bomber. The mother holds open the possibility that the boy himself may end up as a suicide bomber. Complicated and not easy to comprehend.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fascinating and moving documentary about a Palestinian baby in need of a life-saving operation, whose only hope lies in an expensive treatment in an Israeli hospital. Starts as a heartwarming tale of enemies setting aside their differences to save a life, and becomes something infinitely more complex, as the Jewish filmmaker realizes the mother's desire for her son to become a martyr - to die for the Muslim cause to retake Jerusalem. A powerful and insightful real life drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

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Shlomi Eldar

Director

Shlomi Eldar

Screenwriter

Ehud Bleiberg

Producer

Yoav Ze'evi

Producer

Yehuda Poliker

Original Music

Shlomi Eldar

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

A prominent Israeli journalist documents the struggle of an Israeli pediatrician and a Palestinian mother as they try to get treatment for her baby who suffers from an incurable genetic disease.

Director: Shlomi Eldar
Producer: Ehud Bleiberg, Yoav Ze'evi
Screenwriter: Shlomi Eldar
Production Co: Bleiberg Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Hebrew
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 2011, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 4, 2019
Runtime: 1h 27m

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