The Doctor’s Wife
“When you’re a heart surgeon, that’s what you do…
If you are his wife, you tag along and find something useful to do.”
After retiring from a distinguished career as a cardiac surgeon in New Zealand, Dr Alan Kerr led a Kiwi team to Gaza and Ramallah to operate on children with heart disease. What started as a two week visit became an enduring 20 year commitment to Palestine, involving 40 medical missions to Gaza and the West bank and hundreds of operations.
Dr Kerr recognised the need for, and was instrumental in the establishment of, an independent Palestinian cardiac unit. He trained the first Palestinian paediatric cardiac surgeon and has been recognised as the ‘Father of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery' in Palestine. However, he couldn't have achieved this on his own. His wife, Hazel Kerr, travelled with him - bringing a different kind of healing to the people she met in Palestine.
This film was made entirely by fundraising, donations and support in kind. Thank you to everyone who supported us.
Community screenings will take place all over Aotearoa New Zealand. Attendance is free. Koha received will go towards supporting NZ medical missions to Palestine and will fund further screenings.
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Hastings
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Napier
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Wairoa
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Gisborne
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Dunedin
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The History of The Doctor’s Wife
I met Alan and Hazel Kerr in 2006 and became inspired by their selflessness and dedication. I wanted to learn more about them and shine a light on their achievements.
I’ve been trying to highlight social issues through documentary film making for 25 years. I have always struggled to obtain funding and this project was no different. We provided most of the funding but it wouldn’t have been possible to complete it without the generosity of a small number of donors. Others gave of their time and expertise.
Our initial intention was to follow Dr Alan in his work in the West Bank and Gaza but we also developed a very special relationship with Hazel.
While Dr Alan was operating, Hazel took herself all over the West Bank and Gaza, volunteering to help in refugee camps, schools and community centres. We tagged along and realised that Dr Alan and his work was the heart of the film but Hazel was the soul. Hence, the title became The Doctor’s Wife.
I was due to return to Palestine in 2010 when on the eve of my departure I was struck down by a rare auto immune condition which left me paralysed. It wasn’t until 2012 that I was able to return to Palestine. However, being in a wheelchair made everything near on impossible, not to mention my mental state which was not conducive to being creative. In 2013, tragedy struck again when my 22 year old son died, and I shut down for a year. Again, the project seemed so far away, destined for the shelf. Which is where it sat for the next few years while I tried to figure out how to live in a wheelchair and support myself and my daughter.
The project was re-energised when I made two arts documentaries in Palestine, making sure we filmed Alan while we were there and connecting with a NZ trauma nurse who was also filming.
By 2022, we knew we needed to complete the doco. We started sorting through many years of footage in different formats, getting the interviews transcribed and edited. The last big push was in 2023. We raised funds and got a few people to help with the logistics. I spent six months with three editors and then we used the rough cut to do one last fundraiser that helped us over the line, finally finishing it in March of 2025.
Our documentary shows the humanity of everyday Palestinians, pre 2022, as told through the eyes of a retired NZ heart surgeon, his wife and two committed female film makers who were told in 2006 that no one cares about old people, sick Palestinian children or Palestine. They were wrong. We cared and maybe you do, too.
What is happening in 2025 means it’s even more important now for people to see the ordinary people of Palestine
Dr Alan and his wife, Hazel are now 90 and 85 years old respectively. They are the most wonderfully humble humans. Their work over 20 years is nothing short of inspiring.
Paula Whetu Jones
Donate to The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (NZ)
Dr Alan’s work in Palestine was supported by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, "a secular, non- profit, non-political organisation dedicated to healing the wounds of war, occupation and poverty in the Middle East, regardless of their nationality, religion, race or gender." He was often joined by a team of medical professionals from Aotearoa New Zealand and he has created a charitable trust to enable ongoing medical missions to Palestine.
All donations to PCRF NZ charity are tax deductible. If you would like a receipt please email reception@cglord.co.nz with ref: PCRF/receipt.
For donations to PCRF (NZ) Charity
Account Name: Craig Griffin & Lord Trust Account
Account Number: 12-3013-0717194-02
Reference: PCRF NZ - Film
To donate to the film makers
Account Name: Whitiora Productions Ltd
Account Number: 06-0185-0436299-01
Reference - TDW
Thank you for your support.