The President and the Dragon
Sustainability Director
Documenting a former U.S. President's fight to stamp out an ancient parasite
A Touchline original documentary
In 2024, we premiered The President and the Dragon, a searing documentary film created in association with our longstanding partner the Carter Center. This respected NGO was founded by former United States President Jimmy Carter and his former First Lady Rosalynn.
Spearheaded and directed by Touchline FZ-LLC CEO Waleed ElTayeb Gubara, the film tells the story of an unlikely crew – comprised of public health veterans, local volunteers and former child soldiers, plus Jimmy Carter himself – traversing Sudan in pursuit of an ambitious goal: the total eradication of the vicious Guinea worm disease.
Guinea worm disease is a water-borne parasitic infection that primarily affects poor communities in remote parts of Africa that lack safe drinking water. It has affected humanity for millennia – the disease is documented in the Old Testament as a ‘fiery serpent’.
The little dragon from Medina
The direct translation of its Latin name Dracunculus medinensis is “little dragon from Medina”, most likely in reference to the intense burning pain the parasite causes its hosts. It’s non-fatal but crippling – infected people become non-functional for weeks and months, which strains their family and community.
With widespread poverty, treacherous terrain and the enduring threat of internal conflict, Sudan is a challenging country to operate in. As I write, the country is struggling through the second year of a bloody civil war – producing this film would have been impossible under current conditions. However, it’s also a country close to Touchline’s heart, as Waleed is Sudanese. He explains,
As a Sudanese, I was aware of the disease, this monster. What was news to me, however, was the extent of the problem historically and the incredible work and dedication that has gone into eradicating Guinea worm. What started as a request for a small narrative piece for the Ministry of Health in South Sudan quickly evolved in my mind into a compelling underdog tale about an unlikely eradication story compounded by impossible challenges in one of the bloodiest and poorest environments on earth. I presented my pitch for a feature-length documentary; it was an easy sell. Why wouldn’t it be? After all, this is an extraordinary account, with some of the most colourful characters, incidents and backdrops imaginable. This story needs to be told, and, as a Sudanese, I have to be the one to tell it. I’m incredibly proud of what our people in South Sudan have achieved in the fight against Guinea worm. This film is to honour their contribution and sacrifice and their vital role in this inevitable milestone for humanity; the eradication of Guinea worm disease.
A herculean eradication push
We stand now on the brink of total eradication of the disease, with only 13 human cases remaining worldwide as of February 2024 – down from an estimated 3.5 million people infected annually in the 1980s. Thanks to the herculean effort described in the film, Guinea worm disease looks set to follow in the footsteps of smallpox as the second disease to be eradicated in the history of humanity.
After its screening at the Cannes Film Festival, the film’s worldwide rights were acquitted by distributor Buffalo 8. With its support, we look forward to sharing the film with a wider audience and achieving the international recognition this enormous accomplishment deserves.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to wish a happy 100th birthday to Jimmy Carter.
This is an extraordinary account, with some of the most colorful characters, incidents, and backdrops imaginable. It is a story of hope and the enduring power of the human spirit, poignant and relevant today more than ever.
