Out on the ocean, a ship of doctors and nurses is traveling to the poorest of the poor living in West Africa. It carries life saving medical services for people who have none: children who suffer with terrible leg deformities, women outcast from their communities by birthing fistulas, vast tumors of all shapes and sizes which afflict the unlucky. With no medical help, sufferers must survive the best they can – unless the ship is in port. The ship docks in a different country every year and people come from all corners of the globe. It is the last hope for so many – and if they miss the boat, there is no other chance.
Madeleine Hetherton-Miau is an experienced and multi-awarded director and producer. Her filmmaking has taken her around the world from diamond diving in Africa to wildlife trafficking in Burma and through the remote Australian outback. She works across a wide range of documentary and factual programs which have been broadcast in over 60 countries across networks including ABC, BBC, Discovery, Nat Geo and Al Jazeera In 2012 she co-founded the independent production company Media Stockade with Rebecca Barry. www.mediastockade.com. Most recently, Madeleine has been in West Africa, Producing the 8 x 1hr series ‘The Surgery Ship’ for National Geographic Channel. The series, based on the earlier feature documentary, follows stories aboard the world’s largest civilian hospital ship as it roams the coast of Africa. It was released globally in 2017 to excellent ratings and critical acclaim.
