Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers
The Only Doctor
Oct 10, 2023
All Southern Circuit Events will include a screening and discussion with one of the filmmakers and in some cases a community panel.
The Only Doctor tells a contemporary story of rural healthcare in the United States as it centers on Dr. Karen Kinsell, who for nearly 20 years has been the only doctor in a Southwest Georgia county. The film begins when Dr. Kinsell comes to the realization that she can no longer afford to full-time volunteer as the only doctor in rural Clay County, Georgia. But ever committed to her community, she looks to forge a partnership with a medical university in order to keep her clinic open. After several options, a possibility emerges and so does disappointment. Then the pandemic creates new challenges, but also opportunities and new decisions. With production taking place from the beginning of 2019 through 2021, what’s captured is a rural healthcare experience before, during and after one of the greatest pandemics in history. Over this time, the film turns into a David and Goliath story, featuring a small town doctor and a powerful medical university, which reveals the inequities of rural healthcare and how money, politics and convenience determines who does and does not receive medical care.
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects independent filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around stories, important topics, and the art of filmmaking. Since Southern Circuit’s inception in 1975, hundreds of filmmakers from around the country have toured, sharing their work and perspectives with over one hundred Screening Partner communities across the South.
Southern Circuit Screening Partner organizations host touring filmmakers and present screenings with Q&As and other engagements such as class visits, meet-and-greets, and workshops. Screening Partners include universities, community arts centers, municipalities, historic cinemas, places of worship, and more, serving diverse audiences of all ages.
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