Rollout 2022
Distributed by New Day Films, 350 North Water Street Unit 1-12, Newburgh, NY 12550; 888-367-9154
Produced by Trevor Zimmer, Kristen Schlott, and Kevin Madegwa
Directed by Trevor Zimmer
Streaming, 16 mins
College - General Adult
Health Services; Medicine; Postcolonialism
Date Entered: 10/14/2024
Reviewed by Abbey B. Lewis, STEM Engagement Librarian, University of Colorado BoulderDuring the Covid-19 pandemic global vaccine distribution floundered due to a number of strategic missteps that included the hoarding of doses by wealthy nations and misalignment with the needs and capacities of communities. Within this context, misinformation flourished, and vaccine hesitancy made achieving immunization goals impossible. Rollout examines how this situation played out in Kibera, an impoverished neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya. As the Kenyan government pushed residents toward vaccination, Kibera residents shared their perspectives with filmmakers, reconciling mistrust and conspiracy theories with a desire to remain safe from the virus.
The film’s most profound and startling point comes from Laureen, a nurse tasked with administering the Covid vaccine in the Kibera neighborhood. She notes the toll that malaria and HIV have taken on the community and the length of time (still ongoing in the case of HIV) that it took to develop a vaccine. If wealthy nations aren’t able to create vaccines in a timely manner for these diseases, why should she trust a vaccine that they produced in 18 months? “It’s not that people are not afraid of dying,” she explains, of her own skepticism, as well as that of other Kibera residents, “It’s just that, you’re human before you are a nurse.”
Created through interviews that narrate vaccine distribution in Kibera, Rollout is a rich source of authentic human perspectives. Misinformation has influenced residents’ concerns about the vaccine, but their statements also reflect a justified wariness due to centuries of mistreatment by powerful nations. It’s one thing to be concerned that a vaccine might be harmful or ineffective, but it’s another thing entirely to worry that vaccines might be yet another method of exploitation by wealthy countries that continue to hoard power and resources for their own benefit. This isn’t a story about the big-picture of immunization logistics and goals, but rather how real people in an African community reckoned with the choice to become vaccinated.
The film is supplemented by a detailed facilitation guide and an article by the film’s producer, Trevor Zimmer, published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, both of which provide additional insight to the global efforts that shaped vaccine distribution. Rollout is recommended for academic libraries, especially those supporting public health degree programs. It would also be an excellent addition to classes that examine the enduring impacts of colonialism, particularly in African nations.
Awards: Winner, Best Healthcare Film, Social Impact Festival 2023; Exceptional Merit, Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival 2023
Published and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Anyone can use these reviews, so long as they comply with the terms of the license.