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Set in a remote Zambian village THE CARRIER offers a stunning portrait of both a family and community caught in a desperate struggle to Prevent Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and to stop the AIDS epidemic in its tracks and liberate future generations from the vicious cycle.
Director: Maggie Betts
Share this film. Give others the chance to be touched by its story.
Donate supplies, funds, or volunteer your time to Develop Africa – an organization that provides many different opportunities to help in the fight against HIV in Africa.
Support the Global Fund for Women. They provide grants to advance women’s rights in sub-Saharan Africa.
Support Stop AIDS Now! – an organisation that provides a wealth of information on the extensive battle against AIDS.
Stop the spread of HIV in your community. Practice safe sex, use clean needles, and get tested. Act Against AIDS provides resources for people in the U.S.
“That THE CARRIER is elegantly shot by cinematographer Kathryn Westergaard and crafted to get the maximum amount of tension from whether or not the wives’ current pregnancies will result in HIV-infected babies makes it far more engaging than most like-minded documentaries… it’s a rare film that’s rewarding not only because it’s enriching, but because it’s richly told.”
Read the full documentary review here.
“A trend is emerging in southern Zambia of preachers claiming to be able to cure HIV/AIDS and telling followers to stop taking medication to prove their faith.”
Read more about this on Think Africa Press.
What is mother-to-child transmission of HIV and how can we stop it?
(RED) supports The Global Fund’s HIV/AIDS grants in eight countries with a goal of virtually eliminating transmission of the virus from moms to their babies.
For more details on the PMTCT process, including a chart that maps which drugs are used when and in what settings, visit (RED)’s PMTCT information page.
“There is still no cure for HIV, and robust research efforts seek new knowledge: a vaccine, better medications, and greater understanding of the immune response to the disease. Meanwhile, initiatives in South Africa aim to maximize the effect of existing knowledge by getting people tested and treated, and changing behaviour. Such efforts, with their focus on social and behavioural factors, complement scientific research in the effort to control HIV, case by case, across Africa.”
Read the full Harvard Magazine Article.
Watch the full interview with the filmmaker here.
“It is true to say that the extraordinary shift in the global response to the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa over the past 15 years has been one of humanity’s shining achievements in recent times. The enormity of the scale of the implementation of treatment, care and prevention across the continent has undoubtedly contributed to better health globally.”
Yet is this enough to stop the epidemic?
Read fascinating research on the topic on Mail & Guardian Africa.
“My initial inspiration for the film had a lot to do with motherhood, with just exploring this idea of maternal love and sacrifice, pushed to such an unthinkable extreme.”
