Oscar nomination highlights Syrians? plight?and one medic?s courageous work

After leading an underground hospital during the Syrian civil war, Dr. Amani Ballour hopes the Oscar-nominated film The Cave will help others bear witness to the devastation her nation has endured. “[The film] is our testimony of the crimes against humanity,” Ballour said.PUBLISHED February 3, 2020Dr. Amani Ballour will make her way to the biggest party in Hollywood this Sunday, but the Syrian doctor shrugged when she admitted that she doesn’t have a red carpet outfit yet for the Academy Awards. Even though Ballour is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave, she’s more interested in drawing attention to the crisis in Syria.The National Geographic documentary “is our testimony of the crimes against humanity,” Ballour said Sunday, shortly after arriving in the United States. In the two years since Ballour was forced to leave Eastern Ghouta, she married, has been featured in an internationally-acclaimed film, started a foundation, and is now traveling the world.After the longest flight of her life, Ballour, now 32, arrived in the U.S. for the first time on Sunday to begin a week-long tour from New York to Los Angeles to raise awareness about The Cave and the environment that inspired it. The organization Al Amal, or Hope in Arabic, will help women find jobs, support their families, and establish their independence.“I needed support when I was there,” Ballour said. I feel I am strong because a lot of people see this film and they know me and they believe in me.”While Ballour hopes people will learn about the atrocities in Syria from watching the film, she herself has only been able to watch The Cave once. He is being denied a voice to speak to us out of fear,” the letter reads.With help from the outpouring of support, Fayyad was granted a visa and arrived in the U.S. on January 26, in time for the Oscar nominee luncheon the following day.For Ballour, deciding to attend the Oscars was easy, but securing her visa was another matter.