Entertainment / AIDS Film ‘It’s Not Over’ Released Worldwide

AIDS Film ‘It’s Not Over’ Released Worldwide

Entertainment Dec 02, 2014

by Anokhi Admin

Documentary Filmmaker Andrew Jenks Travels The World To Learn More About The AIDS Epidemic

Andrew Jenks’s documentary It’s Not Over was released worldwide yesterday, for World AIDS Day. The film focuses on the lives of those who have been affected by the AIDS. In particular, Jenks meets with young people all over the world including in India, South Africa, and The United States who speak of their lived experiences as AIDS patients.

The documentary begins with Jenks first travels with Lucky, a teacher and a tour guide in South Africa, who is working to keep the youth out of trouble in the region where the AIDS epidemic is the most prevalent. After which, the audiences meet Sarang, an openly gay HIV+ theatre director in India who is currently fighting every day to preserve his lifestyle. Finally, his journey ends with Paige, a young woman who was bullied at a younger age, but is now working as a youth advocate for HIV.

In the film, Sarang and Jenks walk together in an Annual Gay Pride parade in Mumbai, India. Jenks notes that as a filmmaker, he had difficulty talking about HIV/AIDS with the people in India because of the stigma that the disease carries. Sarang tells Jenks, “HIV has changed my life a lot. When I came to know about me being an HIV positive person. When I came to know, it was a very shattering thing for me. That day I decided whatever life I have with me. That time I was thinking I have maybe 5 or 10 years of my life left for me. I will do something for my community. I do not want to run away from the things. I don’t want to run away from the responsibilities. Right now when I am doing my play, it actually helps me come out of the depression and come out of the things which always haunts me but whenever I perform, whenever I direct, whenever I dance, those were the moments when I am not thinking about HIV much.”

Previously, it was thought that around 5 million people were living with HIV in India – more than in any other country. Better data, including the results of a national household survey conducted in 2005-2006, led to a major revision of the prevalence estimate in July 2007. It is now thought that around 2.39 million people in India are living with HIV. Of these, an estimated 39 percent are female and 4 percent are children.

Above, from left: Filmmaker Andrew Jenks; MAC AIDS Fund global executive director Nancy Mahon; singer Rihanna,; chairman of the MAC AIDS Fund and group president, the Estee Lauder Companies Inc., John Demsey; and MAC Cosmetics global brand president Karen Buglisi Weiler attend the premiere of It's Not Over presented at Quixote Studios Los Angeles/advocate.

“I am very close with my fans, and when MAC approached me about this, I got a whole lot of information … a lot of heartbreaking real statistics that I didn’t know,” Rihanna said. “They were very shocking for me, and it’s something that I felt was important for me to get the word out, to spread the word, to educate young people, educate my fans on a matter that’s really killing us and killing the youth.”

This documentary brings to light the fact that the epidemic is far from over. According to Avert.org, 172,000 people in India have died from the disease in 2009. The official website highlight the fact that AIDS related deaths go unreported in India because there is so much stigma and discrimination against the disease. Sometimes a patient will die without being diagnosed and other diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) will be blamed as the cause instead. Aditya Karla of Reuters reports free antiretroviral drugs are accessible to the 2.1 million patients living with AIDS/HIV currently in India.

Pic Credit: @AndrewJenks

Nancy Mahon, Global Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund, avers,"This year we partnered with Andrew Jenks on It's Not Over, a film about young people affected by HIV/AIDS from around the world, available on Netflix now. We needed a new approach, particularly to reach young people—a group that remains at great risk but has become complacent. We approached Jenks because of his track record for making content that connects with a younger generation."

M.A.C Cosmetics has supported the cause since 1994, the organization supports men, women, and children who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS on a global level. It has been a pioneer in raising funds in regions where region and populations have not had access to treatment of the disease. To date, it has raised more than $340 million US through the sale of the Viva Glam products.

It’s Not Over airs on Pivot on World AIDS Day, and is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.

Its Not Over on Vimeo

_{Images and video courtesy of MAC}

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AIDS Film ‘It’s Not Over’ Released Worldwide

by Anokhi Admin

Documentary Filmmaker Andrew Jenks Travels The World To Learn More About The AIDS Epidemic

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