Out of Competition
North American Premiere

ORPHANS OF NKANDLA



Brian Woods, Deborah Shipley

Country of production: UK
Year: 2003/2004
Language: Zulu, English
Mins: 80

Production company: True Vision Productions
Producers: Brian Woods, Deborah Shipley
Script:Brian Woods
Cinematography: Natalie Haarhof
Editing: Reg Clarke, Brian Edwards

Source: True Vision Productions
49a Oxford Road South
London W4 3DD
Tel: +44 20 8742 7852
Fax: +44 20 87427853
jules@truevisiontv.com
www.truevisiontv.com


120 kilometers north of the South African city of Durban lies Nkandla, the heart of Zululand, where running water and electricity are luxury amenities. As in so many other places in Africa, the community is infested by an AIDS epidemic. This documentary tells the story of a number of children who are about to become orphans. Until that time, they have to care for their dying parents with the few means they have. Like 13-year-old Mbali, who has to labor night and day, and another girl, Nobuhle, who takes care of her weakening mother and must wait in line for her meager monthly allowance. “We have a terrible life,” she says straightforwardly. A 16-year-old boy was forced to adopt his two parentless cousins and has to beg for food. They can no longer pay for school. A nun, Sister Hedwig, tries to help these children by getting them the right forms to apply for an allowance and by bringing them some food now and then. But who will help the rest of the 750,000 children in South Africa who are orphans, and the 5 million people have come down with AIDS?


Brian Woods and Deborah Shipley work as producers and directors for the multi award-winning True Vision Productions in Great Britain. In the course of a decade, Brian Woods has won almost every award possible for a documentary filmmaker, including Emmys, Peabodys, British Academy Awards. and the Prix Italia. Deborah Shipley has also won numerous awards.

FILMOGRAPHY (Brian Woods)

ORPHANS OF NKANDLA (2004)
SCREWS: INSIDE BELMARSH (2004)
THE TRANSPLANT TRADE (2004)
AIDS ORPHANS: LOST CHILDHOOD (2003)
DYING FOR DRUGS (2003
OLD (2002)
KIDS BEHIND BARS (2001)
THE CARPET SLAVES: STOLEN CHILDREN OF INDIA (2001)

FILMOGRAPHY (Deborah Shipley)

ORPHANS OF NKANDLA (2004)
AIDS ORPHANS: LOST CHILDHOOD (2003)

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 AT 4.00 PM. / CHOPIN THEATRE
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2005 AT 3.00 PM. / GALLERY THEATRE