Watch Over Me (2021) | Leafbird Films
Farida Pacha’s new documentary
Watch Over Me is often hard to watch. Was it just as hard to make? The Milan-based filmmaker spent close to two years following members of CanSupport, a non-profit in Delhi that works with cancer patients for free. Pacha eventually picked three case studies that were attended to by a doctor, a counsellor and a nurse.
The deeply empathetic and illuminating documentary has been shot in black and white by Lutz Konermann. The use of monochrome is one of many stylistic choices Pacha made in tackling a difficult, emotionally wrenching subject. Meherchand, Munni Devi and Hanif are all seriously ill. It falls upon the angels of the title, Maniamma R, Sini Kuriakose and Reena Sharma, to watch over them as they confront possible death, prepare their families for the inevitable, and offer advice on medication and any measures that alleviate their suffering.