Bending the Arc

Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos's documentary takes its title from Theodore Parker's famous axiom—later quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr.—that over time the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. However, the film emphasizes that the efforts of dedicated human beings are required for that to happen, and it celebrates the work of Paul Farmer, Jim Yong Kim, and Ophelia Dahl, who in 1987 founded Partners in Health (PIH), a non-profit organization that aims to bring healthcare to the poorest citizens in undeveloped countries. Bending the Arc begins with the group's initial work in Haiti, where its community-based model achieved remarkable success. The story continues with PIH's efforts in Peru, where it spearheaded a drive to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis despite arguments from experts (including the World Health Organization) that the project would be overly expensive, before turning to Rwanda, where PIH not only established clinics but also initiated a program to train a national force of health professionals to provide treatment to AIDS patients—again overcoming arguments regarding financial feasibility. The appointment of Dr. Kim as President of the World Bank in 2012 was an important step in furthering PIH's goals, and Kim would prove instrumental in marshaling the world's resources to battle the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014-15. Interviews with Farmer, Kim, and Dahl, as well as with Agnes Binagwaho, Rwanda's former Minister of Health, are complemented by heartfelt tributes from patients whose lives were saved by PIH's work. An inspiring film that shows how individuals have made a real difference in addressing inequity in the global healthcare system, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)