Country Doctor

Since 2010, over 140 hospitals in rural America have closed, leaving just one doctor for every 2,500 people. Filmed over three years in intimate cinéma vérité style, this short film follows Dr. James Graham in Fairfax, Oklahoma (population 1,263), who has spent over 40 years dispatching medicine, comfort, and wisdom to his patients. With a severe lack of medical facilities in rural communities, Dr. Graham divides his time between Fairfax Hospital, a nursing home, and three clinics – one of which is 60 miles away and serves four counties – in his fight to provide adequate healthcare for his community. As rural hospitals continue to face severe staffing shortages and risk closure, Country Doctor positions Dr. Graham's story as a powerful lens through which to understand both the fragility and the fierce resilience of rural healthcare.

Documentary • 37min