Documentary Debut: ‘The President and The Dragon’

“The President and the Dragon,” a powerful new documentary chronicling former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s decades-long fight to eradicate an ancient parasite, has set an Oct. 1 release, coinciding with what would have been the late president’s 101st birthday.

For centuries, Guinea worm disease plagued humanity, causing tremendous pain and ruining millions of lives. Medicine didn’t work on the parasite. Neither did vaccines. It seemed like nothing could stop Guinea worm disease’s devastating impact.

Then the monster met its match.

Official Trailer

President Carter championed the global effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease from 1986 until his death in December 2024.

“My grandfather desperately wanted to outlive Guinea worm, and he came remarkably close to doing it,” said Jason Carter, Carter Center board chair and the eldest grandson of President Carter and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter.” He witnessed firsthand what freeing a community from this terrible disease meant to people’s daily lives, and The Carter Center will keep working until there are zero cases.”

“The President and the Dragon,” directed by Waleed Eltayeb and Ian D. Murphy, tells how President Carter and an eclectic group of public health professionals, local volunteers, and ex-child soldiers braved treacherous terrain and armed conflicts to reduce Guinea worm cases from 3.5 million annually in 1986 to just 15 last year. 

The film is produced by Touchline’s Shaun McGuckian and Eltayeb, co-produced by Brave Road’s Andrew Bishop (ESPN’s “26.2 to Life”) and Tim Byron Owen (“The Matchstick Man”), and distributed worldwide by Buffalo 8.

How to Watch

The film is available on-demand in various countries across Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Hoopla, Tubi, Verizon Fios, Gan Jing World, and Vyre Network, with additional platforms to follow. Check back soon for more details. Proceeds from each rental of the film will support the Carter Center’s global mission to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope.

Rate and Review the Film

After you watch the film, write a review on Amazon’s review page and on platforms like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to help spread the word about the film.

Meet the Filmmaker

Waleed Eltayab is a writer, filmmaker, and content creator with over 20 years of experience working across Europe, the Middle East and Africa leading pivotal projects with governments, public offices, NGOs and global brands and organizations.

A passionate storyteller, Waleed is the writer and producer of “Diamonds, Backpacks and a Matchbox,” a documentary film capturing the lives of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

“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,” he said. “This is an extraordinary account, with some of the most colorful characters, incidents, and backdrops imaginable.”

About Guinea Worm Disease

Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is a parasitic infection contracted when people consume water from stagnant sources contaminated with Guinea worm larvae.

Inside a human’s abdomen, Guinea worm larvae mate and female worms mature and grow. After about a year of incubation, the female Guinea worm, one meter long, creates an agonizingly painful lesion on the skin and slowly emerges from the body. Guinea worm sufferers may try to seek relief from the burning sensation caused by the emerging worm and immerse their limbs in water sources, but this contact with water stimulates the emerging worm to release its larvae into the water and begin the cycle of infection all over again.

Guinea worm is a particularly devastating disease that incapacitates people for extended periods of time, making them unable to care for themselves, work, grow food for their families, or attend school.

The Carter Center and its partners have nearly defeated Guinea worm disease — reducing it by 99.99% since we took on the fight — by educating and empowering communities around the world to stop its spread at the source. It’s poised to become the second disease ever eradicated, and the first conquered without the use of vaccines or medicine.

Special Thanks

Collaboration has always been essential in the journey toward eradication, so thank you to our partners and donors, including the ministries of health and local communities, for making this work possible. See our partner list here.