The Desert filmmaker Bo Kovitz speaks with SDFF co-Director Jean McGlothlin about systemic racism in the health care system, how an East Bay hospital closure created a health care desert in the middle of one of the wealthiest areas in the country, and the impacts of that closure on how the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Bay Area.
Made prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus, The Desert explores the aftermath of a major hospital closure in the SF Bay Area, one of the wealthiest regions in the country, which left over 250,000 patients without an accessible public hospital. Through intimate character-drivenstorytelling, this film illustrates the multifaceted impact of the loss of a major safety net institution as those in the community must travel further to overcome barriers to care.
This interview is one of a handful of video exclusives made available as part of SDFF 2020.