The big screen documentary Every Last Child, from Zeitgeist Films, is the dramatic story of five people impacted by the current polio crisis in Pakistan. Taking place on the front line of the fight against the disease, it is a story of sacrifice, fearless determination and sorrow in the face of mistrust, cynicism and violence.
Just a few years ago, polio persisted in only three countries and the number of victims was steadily decreasing. Pakistan was the key battleground with over 80% of all endemic cases. However, when the Pakistan Taliban issued a ban against the polio vaccination program, and incited fatal attacks against vaccinators, Pakistan’s campaign was thrown into disarray. Today families and healthcare workers find themselves in the cross hairs of politics and bloodshed as they attempt to protect their children from polio. At this critical time, when we are closer than ever before to global eradication, increased international support and commitment can see the end of polio, once and for all.
Through the vivid stories of its five subjects—a medical specialist, a vaccinator, a vaccination skeptic, an adult polio victim and a sick child—we are drawn in to the desperate search for a solution to this devastating disease. Will these everyday heroes succeed and end polio in our lifetime, or will another young generation be at risk?
