Tales from the Organ Trade is a documentary film from 2013 that takes a look at the illegal global organ trade. The film is directed by Ric Esther Bienstock and features interviews with organ donors, recipients, doctors, and black market dealers. The documentary is narrated by David Cronenberg. The film opens with a quote from the World Health Organization that states, "There is a huge gap between the need for organ transplants and the supply of organs donated for transplantation." The documentary explores this gap and examines the dark world of organ trafficking, a multi-billion dollar illegal industry.
The film takes places in four countries - Canada, Israel, Kosovo, and the Philippines. It follows the journey of organs from donors to recipients through the eyes of various people involved in the process. The interviews in the film are incredibly candid and revealing, shedding light on the harsh realities of organ trafficking.
One of the main focuses of the documentary is on organ donors in impoverished countries who are lured into selling their organs for money. In the Philippines, for example, poor people are offered the chance to sell their organs for a sum of money that would be life-changing for them. The film shows how these donors are exploited and forced to undergo dangerous surgeries in unsanitary conditions.
The documentary also looks at the other side of the coin - the recipients who are often desperate for organs and willing to pay a premium for them. The film discusses the ethical implications of buying organs and whether it is right to take advantage of impoverished people in order to obtain lifesaving transplants.
In addition to interviews with donors and recipients, the film also features discussions with doctors who are often caught in the middle of the organ trade. These doctors must navigate a fine line between saving lives and upholding medical ethics. Many of them refuse to perform transplants using black market organs, but others feel that any life saved is worth it, regardless of how the organ was obtained.
One of the key figures in the documentary is Dr. Amit Gupta, a respected and prominent Indian surgeon who was arrested for his involvement in the illegal organ trade. Dr. Gupta provides insight into the inner workings of the organ trafficking industry and discusses how he became involved in it. He also shares his regrets about the harm he caused and the damage that the illegal organ trade does to society in general.
The film delves into various other issues related to the organ trade as well, such as the use of organs from executed prisoners in China and the struggle to regulate the industry. The interviews are interspersed with footage of surgeries and scenes from the black market organ trade, which are often harrowing and disturbing.
Overall, Tales from the Organ Trade is a powerful documentary that sheds light on a global issue that many people may not be aware of. The film is an eye-opening look at the lengths people will go to in order to obtain lifesaving organs, and the devastating consequences of a market that is designed to exploit the vulnerable. The stories and interviews in the film are incredibly compelling and provide a stark reminder of the need for stronger regulation and ethical considerations in the world of organ transplantation.
Tales from the Organ Trade is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.
