NEWARK, N.J. — Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn called himself a “matchmaker,” but his business wasn’t romance.

Instead, authorities say, he brokered the sale of black-market kidneys, buying organs from vulnerable people from Israel for $10,000 and selling them to desperate patients in the U.S. for as much as $160,000.

The alleged decade-long scheme, exposed this week by an FBI sting, rocked the nation’s transplant industry. If true, it would be the first documented case of organ trafficking in the U.S., transplant experts said Friday.

This is a brilliant piece of film making that goes where most people haven’t the courage nor the access to go. If anyone is afraid of a health care system, don’t worry. We can’t have anything this bad! This shows the plight of the citizens of a corrupt government and that of a single woman trying only to support her sisters. Notice how the men come and go but the woman is asked throughout the process where her husband or father was to sign his permission over this woman, viewed as a piece of property. This is a heartwrenching story when you see all of the underlying reasons for the sale of the human organs.

In some way or another donating vidal organs to safe a life is right. But to sell vidal organs to get out of debt, is wrong. The Iranian GOVERNMENT must do something to help the needs of the Iranian people. Thank GOD , AMERICA has programs to help the needy. I wonder if the Iranian GOVERNMENT has any programs for its people?

The government of Iran has money to build nuclear reactors and atomic bombs but they have no money to help their poor.Their leaders spend time thinking of ways of killing people in Israel and funding terrorist organizations all over the world.They don’t have time to think of ways of helping their own people.Give the typical Iranian the opportunity and they will kill an Israeli baby or an ninety year old without guilt.

Needing a kidney myself and getting one in the US is kin to finding a large diamond on your doorstep makes one willing to think about other ways of LIVING BY GETTING A HEALTHY ORGAN FROM SOMEONE ELSE.

I am willing to sell mine to get a little bit out of debt.  Any takers?

The Iranian people are driven by their financial need caused by their own country for NOT allowing abortions or allowing loan sharks to get their way or to send people on debt to prison. The reasons for needing money seems ILLEGAL to me.
I DID NOT see 1 person who did this out of good will.  They only donated their own kidney out of financial need which was caused by mothers leaving their kids to the oldest, to pay for abortions which is expensive and illegal, to pay back the loan sharks to stay out of prison.  The government prays on unfortunate people.  If they made abortion legal, made more jobs, made welfare system out of those $1000 dollars they pay to donors, this brutal and inhumane treatment would NOT exist. This seems very wrong. If the donors problems were not caused by the government’s stupid muslim dictatorship, I would understand.  But, what did they do with the money? Pay to get out of jail, pay for abortion, support their little siblings orphaned without any society’s resources........the problems does NOT end. Poor people.  that’s all i can say. America need to find a legal and better way to promote some of this donations. It cannot be like Iranian way. It seems wrong to me.

my wife is on dialysis and we would gladly pay for a kidney
I can’t see any reason this cannot be legalized in the US. The Iranians have the right idea about this, even if everything else in their country is messed up.

It also seems strange to me that all the famous people actors, entertainers, high powered business people etc. seem to get kidneys almost right away while most other people are on waiting lists for years. (the wait in the metro ny area is currently approx. 7 years

An extemely provoctive film that touches many different ethical layers.  One cannot help but feel empathy for those who need the transplants and their families’ struggles to obtain the funds, as well as for those who are so desparate that they feel their sacrifice is critical for their own family’s survival.  Yet, for them, it is just a temporary fix with heartbreaking consequences.  These people were so candid, and their honest and raw emotions offered a glimpse of human reality that is very sobering.  This is an excellent film for group discussion and reflection.  The questions are many and satisfying answers are complicated and elusive.

Ask someone on Dialysis would they pay $3000 to live a normal life again.
When you have a loved one with Renal failure you would easily do anything for them to get back their life.
I did not see one person forced to give their kidney away in this film.
Maybe they have more freedoms then we have here in the US.
America allows abortions and wont allow the sale of organs and Iran bans abortions but allows the sale of kidneys.
Who is right?
If the DMV made everyone an organ donor on their driver’s license unless you specified that you didnt want to donate (like some other countries in the world) we would have enough organs for transplant for our fellow citizins.

Wow.  I am speechless. A complete other world where giving away a piece of your living body for cash is seen as normal.
How sad for these people.

http://TheFitnessDiva.blogspot.com

Wow.  By my country’s standards, I’m quite poor, and live a marginal existence, but my struggles are NOTHING.  I can’t even begin to imagine the precariousness of these people’s lives or the depths of their desperation; it makes me feel so fortunate to have been lucky enough to have been born here in America, and ashamed that I feel so powerless to help.  This film really touched me.

Sad,Sad, this is what an oppressed country as to where liberty nor freedom reign. Where meidcal care does not exist!

I am still up in arms whenre I have to read, and hear the craop coming out of this comfy ### seaters who complaint what the USA is all about.

Lord

I’m dialysis nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospitalin NYC. I deal with thousands of people a year in renal failure waiting for a kidney transplant.
I found this to be an amazing film. I feel so sorry for those poor people living such a terrible exhistance that they must sell an organ to survive. May God bless them.

mktldr, the U.S is currently the largest global client for black market body parts. People within more socialized health care systems face far less of a wait - yet you dare to claim the Bachmann/Beck conspiracy theories are played out in this film? What unfettered oafery on your part. Grow up.

How can Mkdl.dr even believe this mirrors our HC Reform plans for the “public option”? Unless this writer is representing the Insurance companies or Hospital corporations. How sad is it to be moved to a point of having to sell your organs to only get “out of debt”. Our President has made efforts to get us through an 8 year National debt,an unnecessary war, and healthcare so out of touch for the working class. Yes, I said working class. Shame on you for taking this heartwrentching documentary and blog as an attack on efforts being made to move Americans forward.

Welcome to Government run health care and the “Public Option!” Our Congress has passed a terrible and threatening piece of legislation that will lead Americans to this dismal fate.  Government must never run American health care, and we MUST defeat this awful legislation before it becomes law.

There is nothing evil in this documentary.  Everyone plays their part in a (perhaps unsettling) offering of life.  In the West our laws don’t allow us to sell organs when we get too poor, so what do we do?  Blow our brains out.  You tell me what is more unsettling, a little blood or ALL of it?

Well, not all religion is evil, it is MAN that is evil.  However, ISLAM is an evil religion. Christianity is about love and helping the poor just as Jesus did.  That is his commandment to us.  However, we see evil people in the Christian community as well, and have in the past.

Women who live in Islam Countries are treated worse than dogs and my heart goes out to them.  The only way to help the women and children of countries like this is to take out their government and install christian based government and totally outlaw Islam.

There would be less violence in Palistine, Israel, Irag, Afganistan and Iran.

Jesus did not promote the treatment of women and the poor in this way, Mohammed was a Religious Dictator, much like the Papal in the medival times in Europe, when the church ruled.

Get rid of evil men, problem solved.

All governments work for a few greedy,heartless,wicked families. Divisions like Democrat or republican is created to distract us from putting up a unified resistance.

As I watched this film, I came to an conclusion that American government is just like their government. THey do not care about the poor or the sick. But try to finds quicks ways for the officials to line their pockets! All I can say is soon God will come and death will not even be able to hide fom him!

I am truly horrified by this -whether or not they are enemies or allies, I hate tot hink of any living being reduced to such desperation they have to seel their own organs.

This is the result of USA and European countries against Iran. These sanctions will not hurt Ahamaninejad, the revolutionary guard, or the top Mullas and so called Holy men.  It hurst the every day people, like this young beautiful girl who is working 10 hours a day and cant make ends meet.It hurts the people that have nothing to do with the evil government of Iran.  The sanction hurts the women, children and the poor. 

I can not believe that the world can set aside and watch a young country like Iran suffer in the hands of dictators.  I am so turned off by religion, it seems like the most evil people in the world, accomplish their wicked deeds under the name of God or Allah.  What has happened to humanity?

I cannot believe the bigotry and ignorance some of these comments exhibit.  How can anyone blame a young woman whose mother left her to raise her sisters alone with few prospects and little control for trying to do so with dignity?  How can you fault people with limited resources for trying to keep a loved one alive?  How can you blame someone living on the edge who is trying to get it together for a streak of hard luck that knocks them back down?  Would the barter of organs go away if it weren’t legal?  No - as seen in the film, if you can’t get help legally, you’ll look for what you want on the black market and pay even more for it than you would if it were legal. At least an effort, however shocking it seems, is being made to ensure that not only the wealthy can live.  Would anyone sell their blood, their organs, or their body if they didn’t need the money?  No.  While there are some things that many people will do for free because risk is minimal (blood donors), even for those low risk things, not enough do it for free so we have clinics where we pay people to come in too many times for their health because they need the money.  The poor everywhere have always and will always be on the short end when it comes to who will donate a kidney, carry a gun to war, clothe themselves in toxic materials, or eat what others won’t.  Let’s hope for some compassion and enough sense to not judge others when we don’t understand their circumstances, culture or beliefs. Too bad we’ll never evolve to the point where everyone will live and let live without trying to coerce others to bend their views at the expense of the poor.  I blame the politicians, here - there - anywhere.  Until they back down and leave each other be, policies that keep people poor and at the mercy of more conservative members of their society will not go away.  When times are good anywhere, people tend to be freer in spirit and more tolerant.  The luxury of tolerance evaporates whenever one part of a society is set upon another due to economic pressures or other constraints.  The people of one country aren’t any more evil than another - it’s the failed leadership of all countries that allows this sort of thing to continue.

WOW, as a kidney transplant receipient I thank GOD for my kidney ,I was 5yrs on dialysis and during they discovered a brain tumor near my brain stem I survived a13 hr surgery my deep thank to DR MCmorrow she saved my life then after I recooperated April 11,1990 on a palm Sunday I got beep from my beeper, my family were willing to get matched but what if what happened to me would happened to anyone else my mother suffered enough so I waited and in 3 month I got my kidney very expensive surgery but the anti rejection medication are even more so far in the begining I was fine but now after 10 yrs usually you are suppossed to get a new one but my donor was a fighter and I as well. So thank fully I am fine and I see this and I ask my self do they know about the medication you are required to take so your body won’t reject the kidney I have seen people die in dialysis because there body rejected the kidney or they weren’t taking there medication as needed. Also do they let the donors know the risk they are taking with one kidney living in deplauralable condition, this is all very tragic.
MY DONORS NAME WAS SCOTT GREENE without him I wouldn’t be here, but mostly thank you to his living family who after hours of saying goodbye they made that hard decision to donate his parts it saved many lives.SO I SAY BE A DONOR live on making a difference,and for those inhuman places may a difference come soon and more help for the patients not to be treated like a money oppurtunity or an animal it is really a sad situation. I can imagine how many people die from both sides hope they remend there situation, I was really saddened due to knowing the right way this is done it sank my heart that is why I had to speak about my experience.

This is so sad to see some tangible evidence. It is not their desire nor their request...but life’s circumstance. What made it feel more sad is to realized that for the past 30 yrs, this country had been unjustly ostracized by the US and Western countries especially with economic sanctions one after another. For 30 yrs, the country had to sustain on itself..bcoz some countries with power decided that the people’s revolution to bring back religion is WRONG. But if the religion is Christianity in a predenominantly Muslim region....that will be allowed. Not only that, If that were to happen, you know this country will get alot of financial aid.

Then this issue on the video will not exist. Do we have to be Christian or Jewish to be able to exist as people???

After 51 minutes of watching human torment and poverty, I find myself wanting to hop the first plane and stop the trafficking of organs worldwide..

Did anyone capture that one sentence, where the young donor, simpy states, that this is what he believes his life is about?

And the tear of the young woman, as she is most likely is playing out the possibilites of a tragic outcome.

This documentary, not only moved me spiritually, it reminded me of how fortunate I am to be living in a country where, selling body parts is illegal.

Although I feel this god awful desire to go there and save them all from their pain, these people live with pain everyday, whether you help or not. As witnessed by the last few statements, a crashed car, and a lost job..The beasts that develop these ideas will remain...Next time, perhaps they’ll trade their lives for the rest of the family to save them from a slower death..

It’s pitiful to be witness to such degregation of the body and the soul, but as long as they continue to feed the monsters who allow this to happen, they will be forced to continue to live out the rest of their days in misery, by either kidney removal or poverty, which would you choose?

I was so sad to see this movie. specially why they have to go through all this at such a young age :(

and yet here in US, we spend/waste so much money in fake luxuries and throw so much things/food in trash..

COUSIN, BUSNNIESS WOULD BE A BOOMING IF THEY COULD ONLY SHIP TO AMERICA.

DONT GET ME WRONG, ITS REALLY SAD.

I am mortified!!! These people are poor to start pimped for their living tissue to more wealthy people and then end up just as they started or worse for all practical purposes! how dare we as Americans even think that saying Thank God it isn’t me or mine knowing our moral obligation to Humanity is to see that not one suffers! These situations are common all over the world. Here in the US we are being pimped equally and yet because we call it legal it is. You say there is a difference in our countries and call these things barbaric but honestly take a look around you at the poor and homeless in your community. THEY ARE THERE!!! Get off your over stimulated under caring butts and do something. Get involved! If you don’t have money there is the ample resource of time!! If you cannot understand what I am saying then you need to examine your life. GOD IS SPEAKING TO ALL OF US!!! The question remains are you going to listen?

Jesus Christ this is so sad. It broke my heart. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. It makes me wish that I could help them. So hard to see Sohaila go through all that alone. No human being should have to do that or face get thrown in jail.  i hope that their fate in God helps them get through.

i am so sadded an bothered by this .i feel the deepest sympothy for these people.not only are they getting riped off from there own people in price they are treated like nobodys..i wish i could help that country i really do people are people regardless of culture an nationality an we all need to help eachother may god bless them an keep them going… bless every humane bein that lives tis earth

As a person that needs a kidney, I’m just one of 90,000 that needs one.  I don’t believe in a state giving money and preying on these people, However, I do believe that if I have the funds to pay someone for their time and their incapacitation time for donating a kidney I should be able to.  We pay surrogate for carrying a child. Are we buying children or are we paying them for their time and their temporary incapacitation?  I cannot afford to buy a kidney or pay anyone, but I wish I could and if I had the money it should be legal.

I was on dialysis due to kidney failure.  I was lucky enough to get a kidney transplant from a cadaver after 2 1/2 years.  It gave my life back to me.  I get angry when people say it is not legal or moral to buy a kidney or any organ.  Its easy to say that when your organs are fine,, But what will their thoughts be if they or a loved one is forced to walk in the same shoes of someone who wants their life back?? Will they still be noble and object to purchasing an organ??. If there is an agreement between a potential donor and recipient every one else should wish them well and mind their own business, and pray that they will never be in the position of wanting their life back by needing a transplant

Unbelievably sad and tragic story about poverty and state-sponsored human organ sales for money.  I don’t think Iran is the only country where human organs are sold for money, but to see such act taking place so openly and systematically is very, very disturbing.  I’m grateful that I live in a society where it tries its very best to respect, protect and support even a single life.  There is no right or wrong answer.  Maybe, Iranian government and its society are more honest about what’s going on and legalizing something that’s already taking place anyway in the black market.  But in the end, this is terribly sad and inhumane.  And ultimately, wrong.  For a person to decide that giving up his/her body parts is the only way to put food on a table and have a place to live, a society as a whole and its government have simply and utterly failed the very people who should be protected.

Conny, Were are you getting your information from? This is a rare occurance in the States. I suspect you are Muslim or Iranian and you are making these absurd comparisons in order to normalize this type of behavior. It’s preposterous and outragous, Military wives are housed on bases or compensated for cost of living off base. While it is not a fortune, it is well above cost of living. And they are able to work themselves. Your attempt at apologetics are quite absurd, but typical.

I have my kidney and part of liver for sale
About details and prize mail to :

Iran is not so different from America. In America, a young (fertile) woman may sell her eggs for the paltry sum of around 3 thousand dollars. If the egg donor has very good grades or marks in school she may negotiate more money from the recipients. The donor must inject herself daily with hormones to align the day she ovulates with the same day as the recipient. Also, surrogate motherhood is very common among the wives of American soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. American soldiers receive very little compensation to send home, so their wives negotiate payment as a surrogate mother. A surrogate mother will carry a baby from conception through to birth, 40 weeks for very little money...maybe 10 thousand dollars payment.

I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE INTERNET LIFE DOSN’T MEAN A #### THING ANYMORE ! IT SEEMS THE VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ABOUT EVERYTHING WILL FINALLY INFECT THE REST OF THE WORLD AND I THINK THE UNITED STATES IS JUST A SHORT JUMP AWAY FROM THIS ACTIVITY . CHILDREN DON’T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO ANYMORE UNLESS YOUR ONE OF THE FEW PRIVILAGED ONES! SO SAD TO SEE OUR WORLD CHANGE FOR THE WORSE BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY ISN’T IT SUPPOSE TO BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

I lived in Iran for 3 years as a child. The Shah was still around. As in every country there are the rich and the poor and everyone in between. There currently other countrys in the world were kidneys are bought from the very poor. India comes to mind. Now these people are the ones who are taken advange of. The kindey is harvested in back rooms. The donor is paid about 700 dollars and the person who get it (usually a foreigner)pays $10,000 - $15,000. If we had the option here in the USA to sell are Kidneys for a 6 month paycheck you would have people lined around the block. I think it would also help with this countrys hugh health costs since you would have less people who would need to be on dialysis long term.

I’m a persian born in iran People in Iran are “rich” but they have “poor” people too like “every” other country. So it’s normal. Just go to any down town in US how many homless do you see?
Did u get it? So don’t believe propaganda

My husband is a struggling artist trying to make his first film outside of US.  I came across this website through documentary.org.

In any case, the title of the film really strike me. Watching this doc. brought tears to my eyes. The Persians I seen here in California are wealthy and stuck up. They gave me the impression of Iran as a very rich country. Of course, that is false. Now, I have learned about the ordinary Iranians who struggle every day.

just a response to Scott’s comment “… I found some of the discussions almost too formal - too staged ...”

as a Persian, i can attest to the fact that this is how Persians talk on a daily basis; even when visiting family. we’re a very formal people.

One wonders as the borders of world become more transparent, how the value of a donated kidney in Iran would increase in value to others in lands far away; an organ market that is truly a market. If the driver is purely financial, then why not travel and get paid 5k, 10, 20k? The highest bidder? In a culture in which trade and barter is the norm, the government has fixed prices; they has got to be some other mechanism in Iran for the wealthier recipients that allows them to pay more for a “quality” interaction.

I found some of the discussions almost too formal—too staged; i would need to understand more of the culture to gain a deeper appreciation.

The sadness that a donated kidney does not ultimately benefit the donor except that they donated; the recipient a benefactor. Why the government put themselves in this Khafkasian situation in the first place is extraordinary?

I would love to know if others have created films looking at kidney donations across multicultures.

It is so sad to see something like this is happening in Iran.  I am ashamed.  Can I tell 23 year old man to not donate a kidney or a female who wants to survive?  No, I can not. 

Donating of a body organ because to help and to save another life is something honarable.  But selling a body organ since one need to survive - that is shame on me on you and anyone else who hear such a news and doesn’t raise their voice.

I am sorry.  I thank the person who made this film.  Very effective.  Thanks

well done