Film Mischaracterizes Humanitarian Aid Work

[Editor’s note: The following opinion piece was written by career aid worker Amy Leah Potter in response to the recent release of the film “Dirty Angels” which has upset many people in the aid community for its depiction of humanitarian NGOs serving as shells to hide army combatants. The movie, distributed by Lionsgate, takes serious themes of working in Afghanistan (which many dozens of international aid organizations do) but perverts the depiction of how aid really works. The movie was released one month ago and has received negative reviews and earned only $15,000 globally.]
Hollywood’s Fictional Narratives have Real-World Consequences for Humanitarian Aid
Opinion by Amy Leah Potter
In 2017, I was briefly held at gunpoint by members of the Houthi Rebel group in Northern Yemen. My presence in their territory was questioned at a checkpoint, leading to my detainment. For 90 distressing minutes, I awaited the confirmation of my identity before being allowed to continue my assignment: working with a team to establish an emergency surgical program in a conflict zone.
Gaining access to provide care in war-affected areas is an immense challenge. It requires fostering trust with governing factions—whether governments, rebel groups, or militias—convincing them to view international aid organizations as impartial and independent. When this neutrality is not recognized, the consequences are dire. Denied access means critical care cannot reach those in need, leading to preventable suffering and loss of life. Tragically, this mistrust has also cost the lives of both national and international healthcare workers.
In 2011, a covert CIA operation that used a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The aftermath was catastrophic: an immediate ban on unrelated international aid agencies and a wave of violence. Over the next two years, 56 polio vaccination workers—and the police officers protecting them—were murdered. Polio cases resurged in the region, undoing years of progress and costing even more lives.
The backlash would bring lessons and efforts to avoid replication of such dire scenarios. Humanitarian workers welcomed the statement from the White House, affirming that the CIA would no longer use vaccination programs or workers for operational purposes. A CIA spokesperson acknowledged, “By publicizing this policy, our objective is to dispel one canard that militant groups have used as justification for cowardly attacks against vaccination providers.” This recognition of the vital need for humanitarian neutrality was a step forward. However, the damage to trust in global health efforts lingers as evidenced by my experience in Yemen.
Sadly, lessons from the past may have already been forgotten.
A new Lionsgate film Dirty Angels has recently been released. According to its IMDB synopsis, the movie “centers on a group of female soldiers who disguise themselves as medics to rescue teenagers caught between ISIS and the Taliban.” The trailer shows these women armed and posing as members of an “international relief organization.”
I wish I could trust the public, governments, and rebels to distinguish fiction from reality. But in my experience, the paranoia and mistrust in many conflict zones are deeply ingrained. Agencies and workers are currently risking their lives to deliver aid in territories controlled by groups like the Taliban, ISIS, Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and others. My concern is that the script in this piece of entertainment will, unintentionally, undermine the essential work of humanitarian organizations as well as endanger thousands of lives.
On behalf of those who rely on life-saving care in the most inaccessible regions—and the individuals delivering it – I urge you not to support this film. A message needs to be sent that these narratives are not just dangerous; they are life-threatening.
Instead encourage productions that share stories of heroism, service, and altruism that bring hope and change. Filmmaking can be a force for good, and an ally to humanitarian workers everywhere in the world.
The world cannot afford to lose more trust, more workers, or more lives.
EDITORS NOTE: As of Feb 6, 2025, the film Dirty Angels had performed poorly at the box office and received heavy criticism from NGOs and social media. It had under 1/3 approval on Rotten Tomatoes and seems to have earned almost no revenue. The distributors may have pulled it for a later re-release on streaming sites.