“When you ask people, do you think Tanzanians know what they should know about AIDS everyone will say ‘yeah, they know,’ but if they know then why is the problem still there?”
So asks Tanzanian sociologist Mama Lyimo (pronounced “Lee-Mo”) about the horrific and emotional toll of the HIV/AIDS death rate in her East African country.
A woman of immense heart and strong will, Lyimo wants to know why hundreds of thousands of her countrymen and women are dying each year, leaving behind children with no one to care for them, no one to comfort them, no one to teach them.
Setting out on a 40-day journey across Tanzania to see for herself why the pandemic continues to thrive, Lyimo is compelled to find out the answer as she listens to people’s stories, all the while giving a passionate and unrelenting face to the African fight against AIDS. When she befriends an illuminating AIDS orphan named Suzy, Lyimo’s personal journey becomes more urgent and
intimate than she could have ever imagined.
Director Peter Glenn worked with Mama Lyimo for two years before filming began on “Into the Light”. Frustrated that millions of dollars and work hours had amounted to few successes in the fight against AIDS, Lyimo called Peter to task.
“The problem is we’re always fighting AIDS from the top down. We need to go to talk with people at the grassroots and make a documentary about what they think needs to be done most to fight AIDS. The only way we are going to find new solutions is by understanding the lives of those affected by the disease.”
Shot on location across the stunningly beautiful landscape of Tanzania, the musical score for “Into the Light” is by “Tsotsi” and “Rendition” composer Paul Hepker who is accompanied by the soulful voice of acclaimed East African artist Ayub Ogada (“The Constant Gardner”).
One woman’s commanding proclamation on the state of the human condition, “Into The Light” is both devastating and inspiring: from a caring heart to the driven action of a woman on a mission, “Into The Light” strikes a note of hope amidst a sea of pain.
Into The Light (USA, 2007)
In Swahili and English
Running Time: 72 minutes
Winner of the OUSMANE SEMBENE AWARD &
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2008
Publicity Contacts:
Peter Glenn - peter@ndugufilms.com
Joseph Szopa - joe@ndugufilms.com
http://www.ndugufilms.com
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