From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Anneleen De Keukelaere</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:anneleen@phmovement.org">anneleen@phmovement.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br>Award-winning
films to headline Africa’s first global access to health conference</span></b>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:18.0pt;text-autospace:none"><b><span lang="EN-US">Cape Town,
South Africa (DATE)</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> – People’s Health Assembly today announced the
selection of nine acclaimed documentary films to screen in the 2012 Global
Access to Health Film Festival, July 6-10 at University Western Cape in
Bellville, Cape Town. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:18.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">This year’s addition of film at the landmark health
event marks the beginning of an important partnership between Southern Africa’s
only human rights dedicated film festival, Tri-Continental Film Festival
(TCFF), and the People’s Health Movement. It is the first time the conference,
expected to draw over 1000 health professionals from around the globe, will be
held in Africa. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">The Access to Health Film Festival will
showcase stories of community-led health triumphs, with African stories
dominating the film selection. Adapted from the annual Tri Continental Film
Festival, this five-day festival will feature two screenings a day with post
film discussion, often director-led. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">Opening the festival is the stunning
South African made film, Thembi, winner jury award at 2011 One World
International Human Rights Documentary Festival, directed and produced by Cape
Town-Based duo Jo Menell and Richard Mills. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">Effervescent, beautiful and brave, Thembi
Ngubane sprang to fame after releasing a 30-minute audio documentary about a
year in the life of a South African teenager living with HIV. For more than a
year, Thembi carried a tape recorder and kept an audio diary of her struggle to
live with HIV, capturing the moments of her life that "help tell a larger
story." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">The film was described in a BBC review as
a not to be missed “tribute to courage.” Both Mills and Menell will be in
attendance. Thembi will screen at 20:00h, Friday 6 July.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">Also shining a light South African health
and being screened with its director, is TAC – Taking HAART. Directed by Jack
Lewis, it is a powerful investigate film that delves into the AIDS denialism
years during President Thabo Mbeki’s leadership. The film contains never before
seen footage of one of the most extraordinary struggles in post-apartheid South
Africa. TAC –Taking HAART will screen at 17:00h, Saturday 7 July. <span style="color:#3a0709"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:#3a0709" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">Rehad Desai, director of TCFF, said: “The
partnership between the TCFF and the People’s Health Assembly is an important
coming together of relevant and intersecting expertise. We know that good film
can be a powerful vehicle for positive social chance.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:18.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US">The TCFF celebrates its 10
anniversary in 2012 and since its inception has screened more than 500
documentary films from over 61 countries.</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:#3a0709" lang="EN-US">For more
information about People’s Health Movement visit<i> <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/" target="_blank">http://www.phmovement.org/</a></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#3a0709" lang="EN-US">--------------</span><span style="color:#3a0709" lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#3a0709" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">BRIEFS OF THE
DOCUMENTARIES</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Thembi <span> </span>6 July, 20h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">'Thembi' - Effervescent, beautiful, confident,
brave, eloquent and ambitious, Thembi epitomises the youth of South Africa.
Tragically, in more ways than one, Thembi came to fame through her audio diary
for the US’ National Public Radio. It documented her daily life in Khayelitsha
and the physical, social and emotional struggle of living with HIV.
Despite her boundless energy and herculean courage, this gentle and incisive
documentary shows that Thembi is all too human. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">Melikhaya
Mpumela, Thembi's partner, will be in attendance along with the filmmakers Jo
Menell and Richard Mills.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">TAC: Taking Haart<span> </span> 7 July, 17h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Taking HAART provides a fly on the wall view of how outrage ignited a
movement that united people across race and class, one that developed a well
educated cadre deeply versed in the issues it confronted, built coalitions,
used the courts, peaceful protest and civil disobedience to achieve its
objectives. Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) plays a critical role in showing
how the bill of rights entrenched in the South African constitution can be used
to win social and economic rights and to change government policy. It is
through this mass movement that the right to universal access to treatment was
won.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">Jack Lewis who
produced the movie and is part of Treatment Action Campaign, will be at the
screening to guide discuss the theme of the documentary afterwards. </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Healers<span> </span>7 July, 20h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This is the feel-good story of how a doctor and a matron at a rural
South African hospital started a ground-breaking scholarship programme to
enable local youth to qualify as healthcare professionals. When Dr Andrew Ross
and Elda Nsimbini were faced with the crisis of losing five doctors, they
established a mentorship programme that identified the best students in the
district. Years on, they are reaping the fruits of their efforts. Rather than
the usual sad tale of neglect and deterioration, Barry’s film offers a
realistic solution – local people for local problems – that pioneers a path
many rural hospitals should follow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Bushman’s Secret<span> </span> 8 July, 14.30h 2S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">When South African filmmaker Rehad Desai travels to the Kalahari to
investigate global interest in ancient Bushmen knowledge, he meets Jan van der Westhuizen,
a fascinating Khomani San traditional healer. One plant could make all
the difference. Hoodia, a cactus used by Bushmen for centuries, has caught the
attention of a giant pharmaceutical company. It now stands to decide the fate
of the Khomani San. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Traditional healer will be attending the discussion following the
showing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Street Talk session<span> </span>8 July, 17h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Street talk l show 4 times a 15 minute Street Talk and then have a 15
minute Q&A where a participant from each film will be in attendance to
answer any questions. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-US"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US">Tik, the devil within - In Cape Town,
South Africa, crystal methamphetamine use has exploded, known locally as “tik,”
the drug was virtually unknown as late as 2003. Tik is usually smoked, using a
straw in a light bulb. An assortment of tik addicts from Delft tell us how they
fund their drug addiction and what it is like to be an addict. (Season 3
Episode 24)</span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Disabled
- A group of disabled men and women tell us how it feels to be
disabled in South Africa, the challenges they face and how they rise above
the prejudice. (Season 1 Episode 39)</span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Role
Models - Students from Langa High School speak of cultural alienation
and the lack of role models in their communities. (Season 1 Episode 17)</span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">State
Hospitals - A group of doctors talk about the enormity of the
challenges they face as practitioners in state hospitals and the risks
they face on a daily basis. (Season 1 Episode 43)</span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Difficult Love<span> </span> 8 July, 20h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Difficult
Love is a personal portrait of Zanele Muholi, the photographer involved in
the controversy in August 2009 in which the Minister of Arts and Culture, Lulu
Xingwana walked out of an exhibition featuring her work, claiming it was
‘immoral and offensive’. This film is an account of Muholi’s experience as a
black lesbian growing up in the Durban township, Umlazi, covering her
relationship with her mother who passed away. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Zanele Muholi, producer and subject of the
documentary will be attending the screening for dialogue and discussion
afterwards.</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Dawn of a New Day (West Africa)<span> </span>9 July, 17h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Dawn Of a New Day (West Africa) - A powerful documentary that profiles
the Mercy Ship docked off coast of Benin by following a volunteer surgeon and
five patients. Through these six characters it shines a bright light on severe
access to health issues confronting West Africans and the dire role this ship
plays.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">PHA3 speaker will
be guiding discussion.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>8.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Congo in Four Parts<span> </span>20H<span> </span>9
July, 17h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A quartet of powerful short films that examines social issues in an
impoverished African nation, <i><span style="font-style:normal">Congo in Four Acts</span></i> is
an eye-opening exposé that lays bare the reality of everyday life in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Initiated as an educational project to help young
filmmakers develop their craft, the end result is an unpolished vérité gem, with
an engaging consistency linking the films together. <i><span style="font-style:normal">Ladies in Waiting</span></i>
channels Frederick Wiseman as it chronicles the bureaucratic dysfunctions of a
Kinshasa maternity ward. <i><span style="font-style:normal">Symphony</span></i> takes us on
a staggering tour of the Kinshasa slums. <i><span style="font-style:normal">Zero Tolerance</span></i>
is a searing snapshot of sexual violence in east DRC. <i><span style="font-style:normal">Mine</span></i>
is a heart-rending examination of a polluted settlement where young children
earn meagre wages by breaking rocks. <i><span style="font-style:normal">Congo in Four Acts</span></i>
is a fine example of the socio-political advocacy art that can result from
putting documentary tools into the hands of local citizens</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">Speaker of DRC
will be attending the discussion following the showing.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span>9.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Egypt, insights into a
revolution<span> </span> 10 July, 14.30h @S1</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Two months after the fall of Mubarak regime, bloggers, activists,
artists, opinion leaders or simple citizens revisit their Egyptian revolution.
How did they feel during the eighteen days of protests who eventually forces
Mubarak to abdicate on February 11, 2011 after som thirty years of autocratic
presidency? How did the revolution change their lives? What are their hopes and
fears whereas Egypt is slowly moving towards democracy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">Sebastien Sauges
who produced the documentary will be present at the screening to guide and
discuss the theme of the documentary afterwards.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<br></div><br>