Filipino nurses can be found in every hospital across North America. They constitute 4% of the U.S. nursing population, yet 31.5% of COVID-19 nurse deaths were Filipino… What does this startling fact tell us about endemic racism and class? The latest documentary from Emmy-winner Michele Josue (Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine; Happy Jail) does several things: it gives the personal story of a close-knit group of friends and colleagues who have worked in intensive care and ER units for decades, and who stepped up to put themselves on the front lines during the pandemic; it explains how Filipinos came over to North America in such numbers in the first place, and particularly in the nursing field; and it takes us through their traumatic experience of COVID-19, when they had to contend with both a deadly virus, and with anti-Asian racism fuelled from the very top of the establishment. Nurse Unseen is a loving tribute to these unsung heroes.
Nov 15 & 17: Q&A with director Michele Josue
To say that Nurse Unseen is an emotionally resonant film is an understatement. The film soars with its personal stories and aching vulnerability.
Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
A fantastic and engaging historical and relevant document.
Bobby Lepire, Film Threat
Michele Josue
USA
2023
In English and Tagalog with English subtitles
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