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Two powerful films about the global reach of the
AIDS pandemic 



Their Brothers' Keepers--Orphaned by AIDS
Catherine Mullins, Canada

Fri. Sep 30, 9:30pm, Cinémathèque
Sun. Oct 2, 12:00pm, Vancity Theatre
Thu. Oct 13, 7:00pm, Cinémathèque

Filmed over a seven-month period, Their Brothers'
Keepers goes inside Chazanga Compound, a shantytown
in Lusaka, Zambia, to follow the daily struggles of
two families headed by children. Unlike diseases
that prey upon the very old and the very young, AIDS
has decimated the middle generation in Africa,
leaving children to take over for their deceased
parents. Benny, Dorris and Paul cope with lack of
food, water, healthcare and limited access to
schooling. While young Dorris handles the housework,
15-year-old Benny looks for day jobs to provide food
for his younger siblings. Local aid and community
workers lend support but resources are scant and
foreign aid is lacking. Interspersed with these
touching personal stories are excerpts from speeches
by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in
Africa, which provide a broader context. "This
pandemic has done something dreadful to our instinct
for compassion. What is wrong with the world? One
might also ask, what will happen if a generation of
Africans grows up without parents, social structures
or the basic necessities of life?" - Stephen Lewis.
Winner, Best Social/Political Documentary, Best
Photography, Yorkton 05.
 
 
 
 
 
3 Needles
Thom Fitzgerald, Canada
 
Tue. Oct 4, 6:45pm, Vogue
Fri. Oct 7, 11:00am, Granville 7
 
TWriter-director Thom Fitzgerald's (The Event, VIFF
03) latest feature offers a visually stunning and
emotionally powerful look at the global reach of the
AIDS pandemic. Unfolding across three continents,
the film interweaves three divergent stories of
women thrust into crisis. In China, Jin Ping (Lucy
Liu) sets up a mobile blood collection service that
pays residents of a remote rural community for their
contributions. As people begin to fall ill, a young
farmer sets out to uncover the truth. In South
Africa, a group of nuns - Sister Hilde Francis
(Olympia Dukakis), Sister Mary John (Sandra Oh) and
novice Clara (Chloë Sevigny) - set out to save as
many souls as possible only to discover that local
superstitions and harsh everyday realities generate
more pressing and prosaic concerns. Meanwhile, in
Canada, a young porn actor (Shawn Ashmore) sets in
motion a series of events that will forever changes
his own life as well as his mother's (Stockard
Channing).

The film's stellar cast is anchored by Olympia
Dukakis, whose wise narration lends a spiritual spin
to suffering, sacrifice (often inextricably linked
to exploitation) and transcendence. Chloë Sevigny is
particularly impressive as Clara, a novice nun whose
profound devotion is re-shaped in pursuit of her
evolving understanding of the greater good. Under
the sure-handed direction of Fitzgerald, 3 Needles
renders a complex examination of a subject of
enduring significance while effectively capturing
the impact of cultural and economic disparities.
Timely and unforgettable.
 
 
 
ENTER TO WIN TICKETS GO TO:
http://www.viff.org/viff05/b-home/contest.php
 
 
NEED TICKETS FAST? 
The fastest way to get tickets is with VISA via the
web: www.viff.org <outbind://106/www.viff.org>  - 24
hours a day, or call the VISA Charge-by-phone line
at 604-685-8297 (noon to 7pm). Advance tickets can
also be purchased from the Kiosk (Georgia and
Granville), Granville 7 Cinemas(855 Granville) and
the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181
Seymour at Davie). Open noon to 7 pm daily
 
<http://www.vifc.org> 
 

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