Rome Film Festival Premieres Film Inspired By U.N. Millennium Development Goals

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Tuberculosis;  Tropical Diseases;  IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 28 Oct 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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A collection of eight short films inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals -- which include targets to reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- premiered Thursday at the third annual Rome Film Festival, the AP/Google.com reports. The film, called "8," contains segments made by eight different directors that focus on themes such as poverty, hunger, child mortality, the environment and education. One of the segments features the life of an African man living with HIV (Falconi, AP/Google.com, 10/23). According to AFP/Yahoo! News, the segments alternate between "settings of hardship and disease" in developing countries and scenes from wealthy nations to "underscore either the wealth gap or the universality of goals such as gender equality and environmental sustainability" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/23).

Wim Wenders, one of the directors, said that the "movie is directed to people, audiences will see it, some of them will engage themselves," adding, "A lot of people who will see the film will understand the urgency of the Millennium Goals, but the solution is only with governments, because they have to act as they promised" (AP/Google.com, 10/23). Wenders also said that the eight filmmakers hope the film will "incite as many people as possible to act for us and get their governments to honor their commitments." He added, "My fear right now with the (global) financial crisis is that in the end ... it will make some of the nations be ever less willing to come up with what they've promised. I'm afraid the bill will be paid by the poorest." According to AFP/Yahoo! News, "8" was shown out of competition at the Rome Film Festival, which began on Wednesday and runs until Oct. 31 (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/23). The other directors are Jane Campion, Mira Nair, Abderrahmane Sissako, Gus Van Sant, Gaspar Noe, Jan Kounen and Gael Garcia Bernal (AP/Google.com, 10/23).

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