Six ER doctors draft wills in pandemic halls, sparking global debate

# **Six ER Doctors, One Pandemic, and the Silent Story of Survival** The new documentary *I’m Doing My Job* drops on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube Movies, and Vimeo On Demand on October 12, offering an unfiltered look at the lives of six South Asian and African‑American women who ran the emergency rooms of New York and Chicago during COVID‑19.

In a country where frontline stories are often told from the perspective of male physicians, this film turns the lens inward, revealing the double‑edged burden of crisis: the clinical fight against a virus and the personal struggle to stay alive and hold onto family.

The first time the filmmaker, Aneri Shah, captured the raw anxiety of her cousin—a Brooklyn ER doctor who had just returned from maternity leave—was during a surge that forced her to draft a will in the middle of a hospital hallway.

Shah began recording that conversation, then asked whether her cousin would still be able to care for her newborn if something happened. The clip spread through South Asian WhatsApp circles and sparked a wave of responses from other women physicians, eventually expanding into a feature‑length exploration.

What follows is a day‑by‑day portrait of doctors who navigated the pandemic while juggling motherhood, multigenerational expectations, and cultural identity. ## Background & Context The film’s central characters—Dr. Shivani Mody, Dr.

Ameera Haamid, Dr. Shazia Sohrawardy, Dr.

Sabena Vaswani, Dr. Smruti Desai, and Dr.

Humaira Ali—represent a cross‑section of the American medical workforce. Each is a woman of color, a mother, a daughter, and a member of an immigrant or multicultural family.

Their stories oscillate between the sterile, adrenaline‑filled corridors of the ER and the quieter, often fraught moments at home.

The documentary captures the tension of walking into a patient’s bed with a sense of duty, only to leave with a lingering dread: “I felt like I went to work every day thinking, ‘Dang, am I gonna die?

Am I going to work and die?’” one of them confides, a line that has resonated across social media and professional circles alike. In a country that had already been grappling with health disparities, the pandemic amplified existing inequities.

These women faced the highest exposure rates, yet many also carried the weight of cultural expectations that motherhood and family duty were paramount.

The film does not present a single, homogenized narrative; instead, it weaves personal vignettes that highlight how each physician’s cultural background shapes her response to crisis. Dr.

Haamid, for example, reflects on the fear that her role as a “caretaker” in her family would conflict with her medical obligations, while Dr. Desai discusses the emotional toll of seeing her patients’ families in distress, knowing that her own family was similarly vulnerable.

The film was produced by Aneri Shah Studios. It is distributed by Monkey Wrench Films, known for projects such as *The Forgotten Occupation*.

Executive producers include Matthew Mills of Spacestation, and the film’s score, crafted by Grammy‑nominated composer Priya Darshini with contributions from cellist Dave Eggar, adds an intimate layer that mirrors the raw emotional content of the interviews. ## What People Are Saying Upon its release, *I’m Doing My Job* has already sparked conversations within medical communities and beyond.

On Twitter, healthcare workers share clips from the trailer.

A user in New York Hospital wrote, “We see ourselves in the fear, the exhaustion, the quiet moments when the lights go out.” The film has also caught the attention of advocacy groups focused on minority representation in medicine, who praise the spotlight on women of color who historically remain underrepresented in media narratives.

Audience reactions to the film’s depiction of anxiety are especially powerful. One of the doctors says, “I felt so anxious I almost puked.

I’ve never felt that way going to work before,” a statement that many viewers have found relatable. The candidness of the doctors’ admissions underscores a broader issue: the mental health toll of frontline work during a global crisis, a subject that has gained increasing attention in the aftermath of COVID‑19.

Critics have noted the film’s careful balance between the clinical and the domestic. The cinematography, led by Erika Kramer, captures the stark realism of the ER’s fluorescent lights while juxtaposing it with the warm, cluttered chaos of home life.

In addition to the documentary footage, the original score draws on traditional instruments—such as Max ZT’s hammered dulcimer—to underscore the multicultural dimensions of the subjects’ identities.

Reviewers have highlighted how the soundtrack’s fusion of Western and Eastern motifs mirrors the protagonists’ hybrid lives. ## What Happens Next The film’s release strategy is designed to maximize accessibility.

While the initial premiere on major streaming platforms will reach an international audience, the distributor has announced that Tubi and other free services will host the film later in the fall, broadening its reach to those who may not have subscription services.

Following the documentary’s release, the composer Priya Darshini plans to launch an accompanying soundtrack album. This release will feature the original score’s nuanced blend of orchestral and ethnic instrumentation, allowing listeners to experience the emotional arc of the film outside of its visual context.

The album is expected to provide an additional revenue stream that could fund future projects centered on underrepresented voices in medicine. In the weeks ahead, the film’s impact is likely to be measured not only by viewership numbers but also by its influence on policy discussions.

The story of *I’m Doing My Job* is one of courage, vulnerability, and the quiet resilience that defines many of the nation’s frontline workers. It is a reminder that behind every white coat lies a complex human being, navigating both the frontlines of a pandemic and the intricate family and culture.

The documentary not only chronicles a historical moment but also provides a mirror for society, urging us to recognize the unseen battles that professionals of color continue to fight every day.