Oscar®-nominated documentary feature, The Cave, premiered on National Geographic channel (DSTV 181) on Sunday, 8 March at 21:00 CAT, on International Women’s Day, marking the start of the channel’s 'Women of Impact' celebration.

The Cave unveiled the true story of an underground hospital in Syria and the female doctor running it. According to National Geographic, each Sunday night until South African Women’s Day (Sunday, 9 August 2020) will play host to more stories of "remarkable, diverse, brave and heroic women" — from Jane Goodall, to Diana, Princess of Wales, Amelia Earhart and more.


This stunt will culminate in the third instalment of National Geographic’s Emmy award-winning anthology series, Genius, which will showcase Aretha Franklin. Oscar®-nominated Cynthia Erivo will play the lead role of Aretha.

"The Cave’s 2020 Oscar® nomination for Best Documentary Feature [was] an exciting moment for us, as it further shined a light on the remarkable work done by Dr Amani in war-torn Syria. I could think of no better way to start our 'Women of Impact' campaign, that showcases so many prolific women across the globe," says Evert van der Veer, vice president, media networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.

Local National Geographic Explorer, Gulshan Khan, was honoured with an exhibition of excerpts from her photographic collections, and a Q&A with emcee, Redi Tlhabi, prior to the premiere screening of The Cave.

Guests were welcomed by the senior vice president of The Walt Disney Company Africa, Christine Service. After the screening, Dr Amani Ballour, who is featured in The Cave, joined the event via Skype to discuss her experience working as a pediatrician during the Syrian war.


For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com. You can also follow National Geographic on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.