South African documentary film, Empathy in Africa: Bridging The Healthcare Divide, is set to premiere on Apple TV and other streaming platforms this week.
Diepsloot township, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known for its challenging infrastructure, overcrowding and limited access to basic resources — but within it exists an oasis that is bringing hope to the community. The Rhiza Babuyile Clinic, founded in 2022, is Diepsloot’s first private brick-and-mortar healthcare facility, offering basic care and paediatrics and reducing inequities for the people of the township.
Empathy in Africa follows three women empowered by the clinic, who personify resilience in the face of tremendous obstacles. The film shows the many benefits the clinic brings to the community and highlights a nurse who is given the opportunity to build and own a new clinic in a nearby township.
In addition to streaming on Apple TV, Empathy in Africa will be featured on WaterBear Network, the first free streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet, bringing entertainment and action together. It hosts a diverse array of award-winning documentaries, compelling short films, and impactful series, all created to drive real-world change.
Empathy in Africa was directed by Dan McDougall (a four-time Amnesty International Award Winner and British Foreign Correspondent of the Year) and produced by Miran Media. McDougall received the Best Director Award at the Barcelona Film Festival for his film on climate change, and won best short film at The Munich Film Awards and The Stockholm Independent Film Festival.
Empathy in Africa has been selected to screen at the Charlotte Black Film Festival, the People’s Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival’s FilmSlam® Streams Program, a virtual media literacy programme that allows educators to stream films directly in the classroom. The programme encourages teachers to incorporate social impact films into their curriculum and class discussions.
The film was funded and developed by Viatris, a global healthcare company with a mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. Viatris is also a funder of the Rhiza Babuvile Clinic profiled in the film.
Click here to view the trailer. You can also stream the film on Apple TV or on WaterBear.