Fighting AIDS with Stefanie Sycholt's movie "Themba – A Boy Called Hope"
The THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign in South Africa
Since October 2010, Stefanie Sycholt’s award-winning movie “THEMBA – A Boy Called Hope”, which follows a young boy’s hopes and aspirations against all obstacles, including the HIV infection of his mother and himself, has been on a journey across the nine provinces of South Africa. The THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign not only gives community members a chance to enjoy an entertaining and uplifting feature film, they also have the opportunity to discuss and workshop the issues raised in THEMBA – most notably HIV/AIDS and Poverty.
For the roll-out of the THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign, the Cinema for Peace Foundation is supporting DO Productions and their partnering NGOs such as GOLD Peer Education, the National Welfare Social Service & Development Forum, GCAP SA (Global Call to Action Against Poverty) and SCORE, who already work intensively in the communities where THEMBA is being screened. The film is being integrated into their existing HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs on its tour through South Africa.
To date, THEMBA has been screened in over 80 rural and semi-rural communities in all nine Provinces of South Africa with over 5000 men, women and children attending the screenings. The film has brought whole communities together to share their experiences and learn how to empower their lives through knowledge, using THEMBA as a platform from which to inspire these conversations.
It is hoped that by continuing to support and raise funds for this Campaign, the movie THEMBA and its message of hope will reach as many people in as many communities in South Africa as is possible.
To find out more about THEMBA and view pictures of the THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign please go to www.thembathemovie.com and www.facebook.com/thembathemovie.
THEMBA Screenings with Youth Against AIDS in Germany
In addition to the THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign in South Africa, the Cinema for Peace Foundation is currently supporting screenings of THEMBA at over 60 schools throughout Germany. These screenings are part of an Action Week to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among school students that is being carried out by Youth Against Aids (Jugend gegen AIDS) from 29 November to 5 December 2010.
On 30 November 2010, director Stefanie Sycholt attended a Special Screening in the city of Hamburg, which Youth Against AIDS organized with the support of the Cinema for Peace Foundation. After the screening, the attending school students had the chance to talk to Stefanie Sycholt about the making of the movie and the THEMBA Community Screenings Campaign in South Africa.
To find out more about Youth Against AIDS and their Action Week to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, please go to www.jugend-gegen-aids.de (currently available in German only).
CFPF has been a loyal supporter of THEMBA, previously promoting the movie on the occasion of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
Cinema for Peace also assisted in the staging of a special screening for school children of “Themba” in Cape Town, presented by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In a truly electrifying atmosphere, the audience, who consisted of children of the township Masiphumelele (where some of the film was shot) watched the film for the first time.
The premiere of Stefanie Sycholt’s moving film took place in South Africa on 16th of July 2010 the and again in Berlin on August 8th 2010.
The premiere in Germany was supported by CFPF, together with the Embassy of South Africa and German NGO „Gemeinsam für Afrika“ (“Together for Africa”). Miss Mbuyane‐Mokone, Jaka Bizilj, Paul Bendix and Jens Lehmann presented the movie.
