Cyprus.
"A Race Against Time" is a thrilling story that takes place in two countries, Israel and Cyprus – and the race against time to bring a terminal heart patient to transplant surgery in Israel. A Documentary made by film maker, Tzvika Vloch.
Will they manage to fly and deliver him to the hospital in time? Will the operation succeed? How does the cooperation between both countries manifest itself? Vloch documents the process from the point of view of the medical team as well as the transplant patient and his family during their critical visit in Israel.
Five hours are at the disposal of Dr. Lavee, to reach Cyprus and harvest the heart of a young woman killed in a road accident, fly back to Israel and transplant her heart, in the body of Andreas, a hard-working Cypriot who desperately needs it.
Before leaving for the Cyprus Island on a special airplane, Dr. Lavee leaves precise pre-surgery instructions and flies to Cyprus to harvest "a human heart in good condition" after receiving a message from Cyprus.
Vloch follows the entire process in real time zigzagging between the events in Israel and Cyprus with his camera. Vlochs camera accompanies the medical team that flies to Larnaca, Cyprus and with the help of patrol cars makes his way to the hospital in Nicosia where Dr. Lavee will harvest the heart of the woman killed in the road accident. At the same time, another camera documents Andreas on his way to the hospital in Israel to undergo complex transplant surgery.
The operation is a great success. A Cypriot family in a foreign country waits outside the operating room and when Dr. Lavee comes out with the news, they break down in front of the camera.
As time goes by, Vloch continues to visit Cyprus to document Andreas and his family. Three years after transplant surgery,
Vloch's camera celebrated Andreas' birthday with his family and took a peek at Andreas enjoying a quality life and getting to know the new grandchildren born into the family.