Educational Media Reviews Online

Using a combination of archival footage, current interviews, and news clips, Rehad Desai paints the picture of a country struggling to keep its citizens safe and healthy among the decades-long pandemic of HIV/AIDS. In 2020, during the filming of this documentary, COVID-19 further complicated South Africa’s struggle, creating a dual pandemic. The incorporation of this second pandemic strengthens this film, allowing it to compare the two viruses and the world’s response to them. This strikingly displays how the viruses, and the responses mimic each other. Both were plagued with science-denying political leaders and resource inequities but were also filled with passionate grassroots and global public health efforts to help communities.

The documentary begins strongly with a discussion of how pandemics have been increasingly affecting societies and spreading rapidly due to the commodification of our natural resources and the circuits of capital that help to spread infection. It continues by discussing the resource and infrastructure inequities between rich and poorer countries. This lack of global cooperation is most disturbing since there is wide agreement that to defeat both of these pandemics, the world must work together.

Some minor weaknesses in the film include some sound issues including background noises, muffled mask-wearing subjects, and a few odd sound edits. This causes some of the information to be potentially lost on viewers. Although many of the charts, graphs, and maps that were included were very informative, one particular map at 23:08 could have benefited from additional labels or more clear narrative explanation. As it is included, it may not be as successful as it could have been in conveying information. Additionally, and admittedly subjectively, I found some of the illustration/image filters used to be off-putting and visually unnecessary.

The insights from a variety of expert interviewees - doctors, activists, volunteers, scientists, politicians, and educators - give a full picture of the impact these pandemics have. The response (or lacking/delayed response) and how that plays out in people’s lives is also painted by these interviews. The inclusion of those who have been personally affected by HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 adds a personal touch to the film.

This documentary is recommended for high school to general adult audiences and would be useful in discussing global and public health, world politics and inequities, and the history of pandemics.

Awards:
Movies that Matter 2022

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