Educational Media Reviews Online

The viewer is drawn into the plight of two women who are stricken with AIDS, and their journey to get the drug antiretroviral (ARV) in post-apartheid South Africa. This drug is supposed to have the potential of prolonging their life. This film provides a rare glimpse into not only how those in a poor village in South Africa struggle with AIDS, but how those around them are affected. There is a sadness that runs throughout the entire film as we watch these two women respond to the ARV, and the struggle to live a “normal life.” I am also struck with the lack of a male presence throughout the film. It is as if they are not a part of the community in which the women live. One of the best aspects of the film is giving AIDS a face. One cannot help but feel sympathetic for those affected by this disease. An important message coming through the film is that there is a large population of people who are mostly Black/African, and mostly women who have HIV/AIDS and are forgotten.