Beaujon public hospital situated at Clichy in the Parisian suburbs is one of the many casualties of French healthcare budget cuts and that was before this year’s announcement of new slashes. The facility has just one psychiatrist on staff: a specialist who treats patients admitted for other reasons (often trauma, sometimes suicide attempts). This doctor is 34-year-old Jamal, and he is the subject of On the Edge (Au Bord), French director Nicolas Peduzzi’s new documentary, which world-premiered at CPH:DOX.
Throughout different seasons with Jamal or so we must assume from what he wears beneath his white coat; most of the action takes place inside the hospital Peduzzi always uses a handheld camera, frequently following behind as he walks to another patient or colleague or delivers his thoughtful, cogent ideas about psychiatry and how we treat people who see the world differently. A child of two Syrian doctors, he wanted to be a surgeon but contribute more to society.
Almost as fascinating as Jamal are his patients; and Peduzzi has chosen well which sections of their stories to share with us. They are our proxy: it is through him caring for them that we come to see them also as individuals rather than just clusters of symptoms and diagnoses. Early on police bring in an intoxicated arrestee they have just beaten up; through some deft diplomacy Jamal disarms the situation.
Aliénor fell off a bridge in front of a train and lost both legs along with her forearm. Her sister tells her she won’t be there for her anymore unless she stops taking psychoactive substances. It’s not that simple, Jamal explains not everything is her sister’s fault; rehab centres tend to dispense treatment which does more harm than good too often.
A young man despairs because after having had pancreatitis he knows it could happen again any time though he doesn’t drink. Jamal tries to get him talking about medical TV shows he likes. A young Dutch woman seems completely lost but says she won’t return to Maastricht, apparently fearing her parents; he treats her with respect and tries to understand what she wants to do, why or how.
The film is called On the Edge for good reason, yet Jamal never loses his even in the corridor, rushing past us with a nurse, he finds time to give more explanation than has been asked of him. But such dense editing and such intense characters and relationships in close proximity can be overwhelming, as if we were there in the hospital too. Every now and then Peduzzi lets up for a moment: black-and-white photographs, cross-fades or split screen remind us we are watching a film. Usually it is the highly evocative, dynamic, piano-driven musical theme that kickstarts us again.
As we listen to Jamal think and chat with his coworkers, an institutional problem doesn’t only exist in healthcare and isn’t just about budgeting – it’s deeper than that; the entire system is inverted. What we lack are genuine humanity and mutual support. He is overflowing with both, and it’s hard not to see that when you’re around him.
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