KU Alum Backer Hamada Uses Film to Document the Trauma Epidemic

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By Content Director Cameron Castaldi

After graduating from the University of Kansas in 2023 with a degree in Film & Media Production, KJHK alum Backer Hamada has been hard at work as the Director of Marketing for the International Orthopedic Trauma Collaborative (IOTC). Drawing from his experience studying film, serving on KJHK’s Multimedia Staff, and later serving as Video Content Editor, Hamada is soon to premiere his documentary short in Lawrence for the first time at the Free State Film Festival. 

I got the chance to chat with Backer last week and learn about his experiences co-writing and co-directing this project. When asked about the documentary short, he explained:

“It’s called Trauma: The New Epidemic, and it follows the story of two Ethiopian trauma surgeons who came from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to train under Dr. Archie Headings from KU Med. One of the surgeons was able to open the first foot and ankle clinic in a country of 120 million people. Their only facility where they operate… It’s the only public trauma center that serves 120 million people and it’s a repurposed hotel. So it’s not an ideal setup at all.”

Making up approximately 10 percent of all global deaths, trauma is a huge threat to the lives of many across the globe, and especially in Africa. As Backer put it:

“There’s a lot of people dying in Africa from trauma and a lot of it is because they’re under-resourced and… they can’t get this kind of education there. So instead of a mission trip where you go overseas and you train them… Now it’s like, hey, why don’t you come here [KU]? We’ll train you and you can build your own sustainable system. So that’s what the documentary was focusing on at first.” 

Thanks to the African Trauma Initiative—born from a partnership between trauma surgeons at the University of Kansas Health System and the St. Paul Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia—self-sustaining hospitals are being developed in Africa in order to address these issues at a much larger scale than previously possible. 

During our conversation, I noted how important the arts and media are in developing such systems. Though creatives often feel isolated from fields like medicine, it takes artists like Backer to build and sustain an organization’s platform and presence worldwide. He reflected on his motivations for pursuing film, saying: 

“I think the core of it all is art, it is creativeness… The tool of media and film is very powerful, and I’m sick of it being used for profit, I want it to be used for something good… Art as a medium, whatever you’re doing, you can really make a big impact on the world.” 

Backer’s involvement in the project began during his senior year of college, when Film and Media professor Matt Jacobson asked him to work as a production assistant. What started as simply assisting his college professor with a project turned into a huge opportunity. 

“So I did the first couple of shoots just as a PA. By the third shoot, I find out that my brother is a medical student on this initiative called the African Trauma Initiative… At some point he’s going to end up getting interviewed. I think a passion came from me towards this project. I’m like, how can I not be enthusiastic about this? Like what’s going on? It’s just too perfect, you have to do it. So I started editing the footage and then by the third shoot or so, Matt Jacobson was like, hey, why don’t you just interview someone for me? And then by that fourth shoot, I interviewed my brother. And then at some point he was like, why don’t you just co-direct with me? And then why don’t you just co-produce? So then we ended up taking it on together.” 

Due to the continued development of the African Trauma Initiative, the International Orthopedic Trauma Collaborative was then created with the hopes of expanding this mission internationally. Thus, Backer earned the title of Director of Marketing for the IOTC, where he remains today. Through the culmination of his experiences studying film at the University of Kansas and pursuing it professionally at KJHK, Backer Hamada has built a career for himself that allows him to use his creative marketing skills in order to help people around the world. 

When asked what advice he would give to current KJHK staffers and fans who want to turn these skills into a career like he has, Backer responded: 

“If you want to do something big in this world, especially in media, it’s very competitive. You really have to be someone who can go up, be very confident, and do it on your own. Every small business, every business in America, needs marketing and media, it’s the future. I’m not as worried about AI taking all of our jobs when it comes to media because… everyone needs it, all over the world, not just here. So, try to think outside of the box, and find something that you care about and put your work towards it. And if you have that confidence, you can really make it happen.” 

After winning the Audience Choice Award for Documentary Feature at the 2025 KC Film Fest International, Trauma: The New Epidemic will be premiering in Lawrence for the first time at the Free State Film Festival on June 27th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. 

Additionally, the IOTC is hosting their 2025 Walk for Trauma the day after from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., which Backer played a large role in planning. The walk will take place on the Katy Trailhead in Clinton, Missouri, and registration fees directly support the African Trauma Initiative. 

From Lawrence, Kansas, all the way to Ethiopia, Backer Hamada and the IOTC are making great progress toward ending the trauma epidemic. His story is a powerful reminder that no matter the medium, creative work has the power to make real, lasting change in the world.

Information about Backer, the IOTC, and the Free State Film Festival can be found below: