WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Fighting for a cause. It’s noble. It’s admirable. It’s easy to SAY one is behind it. However, what does it actually take to truly SHOW that what you believe in, wish to defend, and strive to see real change occur because of is both legitimately your passion and tangibly achievable? It is July 2000, Durban, South Africa marking at that time the biennial International AIDS Conference whose particular gathering sparked a radical shift in thinking and awareness globally about AIDS, health, and social justice activism. However, over time, that igniting, rather than fanning into a lasting bonfire of forward momentum, has dwindled to smoldering embers. It has therefore become a newfound means of impassioned focus to see this fire spring up, even as on the worldwide stage, the endeavor to manifest availability of all-encompassing, affordable healthcare and other forms of treatments to EVERYONE takes center stage, with needs higher than ever before. Is it a battle that can be won? Perhaps. One step, one voice, each action at a time. This is the story of five crusaders and their efforts to see transformation.
Next, my Mind:
As can be the situation when potentially dealing with any hotbed, controversial, highly debated, just plain sensitive, or seemingly insurmountable topic of discussion, there will always remain disagreement, dissention, logical (we hope, anyway) arguments on whatever sides are involved, strong proponents, adamant detractors, and every other form of opinion and individual who believes their way or solutions are “it”. It’s reality, and that is what documentary filmmaking comes down to–our actuality and the subject matters when it comes to social awareness issues that tend to cause the most varying of reactions. With this documentary short, which had its screening run as part of the 2021 Virtual South Asian Film Festival presented by Toyota USA, supported by AARP, produced by Jingo Ventures, in association with DFW SAFF & NYC SAFF, writer/director/producer Dylan Mohan Gray and executive producer Brett Davidson tackle just such affairs and do so with perfectly executed intent, smart execution, and impactful resolve.
No better perspective in order for viewers to GAIN frames of reference that to hone in on five particular people who have made strides to become larger voices and directly involved activists in the search for better results and viable options to present in the globally-influenced world of AIDS research, treatment, and more totally inclusive healthcare for all, regardless of color, gender, age, ethnicity, or income/social class, which has ultimately NOT been the case for far too long as we still confront a world of the “haves” vs. the “have nots”. In order for us to further comprehend the actual scope and truth that help is needed everywhere and at least not JUST the places we automatically think of when it comes to these deeply important matters, the film does a fantastic effort to “spread the wealth” via choosing individuals to highlight from five different countries and five different scenarios involving either AIDS/HIV or desperately needed changes in healthcare: Cape Town, South Africa–Maharashtra, India–Conakry, Guinea–Madrid, Spain–and Budapest, Hungary.
Vuyiseka Dubula was twenty-two when diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, with no cure in sight. Instead of simply taking the easy road and giving up, she began looking into the facts that showed outdated drugs and that the availability of even those were relegated solely to the rich and not the poor. This, among others determining factors, then caused her to become not only an activist for betterment of things in Cape Town, but also is currently the leader of TAC-Treatment Action Campaign. In the State of Maharashtra, located in west central India, Meena Seshu became an advocate and doggedly determined voice for one of the country’s looked down upon groups of people–sex workers. Regardless of what might be your opinion of their chosen profession, their rights and empowerment as a cohesive unit of workers who’ve been cast to the peripherals of society became Seshu’s focus, as violence against women is already a still-present and all-too-rampant circumstance amongst them. Seshu has encouraged them to stand up, fight back, as we’re speaking of HUMAN rights and HUMAN justice.
For Mouslihou Diallo, a former pharmacist during the 80’s in Conakry, Guinea, he’s seen the AIDS movement first hand, worked with it, and has now worked his way up to a position where he oversees responsibility for the country’s drug supply chain through their nationals AIDS program. He emphasizes the often disheartening reality that living in Africa, you don’t question your leader’s choices, even if it is actually wrong, or worse, harmful to the population at large. That combined with the sheer distance to medical aid and the associated costs find far too many dying to survive. There is also Vanessa Lopez, a former psychologist and now the founder/director of NGO Salud por Derecho (Right To Health) in Madrid, Spain where she handles public health policy for Spain, Europe, and the global south. Her reasoning–she wanted to go from treating individual to social concerns as she witnessed her own country’s decline from offering all-access healthcare to utterly restricted offers that shut out so many in need.
Also in the fray is Budapest, Hungary-based Peter Sarosi, a human rights advocate, filmmaker, and leading voice for drug user rights (yes, you read that correctly) and health who also leads his city’s RFF-Rights Reporter Foundation. What he’s witnessed is not just the basic requirement to strengthen the overall healthcare system, but to promote actually LISTENING to the communities of people who are so often seen as “not fitting” into the existing system as it stands. Outside of Africa, the largest concentration of new HIV infections stem from IV drug use in E. Europe and Central Asia–where it happens to be that a large overall portion of drug users reside–hence certain places where people again don’t equate their BEING a “problem” to address. So, as it is (or, frankly now SHOULD be) evident by even these little snippets of insight into the world health crisis and its myriad of attached needs and mountains to climb, it is likewise hopeful that more individuals like these five will recognize the cause, stand up, and speak out.
The film then follows an additionally informative direction through all five people as we see how they’ve continued to encounter and challenge what’s in place and what needs to be radically adjusted. Concepts of protecting the next generations from AIDS/HIV and sexual violence that can go hand-in-hand with the poverty issue and abilities to obtain healthcare, cuts in funding, activist filmmaking, speaking when possible to government and medical business leaders, addressing the marginalization of those IN need what even finds those communities at war with one another, and class divisions are all given notice and it’s a sobering wake-up call to a world that will only see metamorphosis if the paramount necessity that is UNITY of voice and action is acknowledged and acted upon. So, in total, “From Durban To Tomorrow” is a needed blitz of compelling information that is meant to arouse, remind, and spur into action, not remotely as some preachy or whiny diatribe, but as a well-founded, justifiable, catalyst to see goals met while conquering the challenges.
As always, this is all for your considerations and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
