September 12th 2023.
HBO recently announced a documentary set to premiere on their Max app on September 26th, titled Savior Complex. It follows Renee Bach, an American missionary who moved to Uganda and started a charity for malnourished children, even though she had no medical qualifications.
The documentary examines the complexities of foreign aid work done in the name of humanitarian and religious ideals, and when the trailer was posted to their official Twitter account, it caused quite a stir. People questioned the integrity of HBO for releasing such a documentary, and others pointed to an Ugandan investigative documentary, The Messiahs That Were Not by Munjuni Raymond and Next Media Uganda, as an alternative.
It was also revealed that Bach had settled in a Ugandan court after allegedly impersonating a doctor and performing medical procedures she was not qualified to attempt. This sparked outrage on social media, with users asking "Let me get this straight, she pretended to be a doctor, carried out medical procedures she had no business doing, killed 100+ babies in the process, settled in a Ugandan court and we are still asking about intentions and if she is a murderer? You should cancel this documentary!!!"
Ugandan journalists Raymond Mujuni and Uju Anya reported on Bach's actions, and an article written by Ugandan writer Alon Mwesigwa for The Guardian revealed the stories of the families affected by Bach's charity, which he claims was more like an unsanctioned clinic than a ministry to end malnutrition. Bach's organization eventually replied to requests for an interview with a press release, accusing those who had accused her of being "reputational terrorists" and attacking her without evidence.
The documentary has sparked a lot of debate and discussion, and many people feel that it is not appropriate for HBO to be releasing it. It remains to be seen how the documentary will be received when it is released.
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