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synopsis Thing With No Name, a feature-length documentary, provides an unprecedented, intimate glimpse into the traditional life of a rapidly changing culture. Set in Okhahlamba, South Africa, a stunning, mountainous Zulu area and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the story follows Danisile and Ntombeleni, two women with full-blown AIDS as they attempt to access recently introduced antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through the public sector. Danisile responds well to the medications, with the support of her family and her volunteer nurse. Ntombeleni does not respond as positively, experiencing the delirium and difficult side effects that are a strong source of controversy within the Zulu culture. The univeral aspects of motherhood and the struggle to survive are explored through the womens' lives: Danisile's strained relationship with her teenage daughter, who secretly fears becoming one of South Africa's 1.2 million AIDS orphans, and the traditional Zulu ceremonies that Ntombeleni's family holds to combat her illness in their own way. Illustrating the bittersweet reality of the situation, through both the miracle of survival and the tragedy of falling victim to an overwhelmed medical system, Thing With No Name reveals the private and public obstacles that have led to an out of control epidemic. director New York based filmmaker Sarah Friedland received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College in 2003 where she studied film and sociology. She also attended the International School of Film and Television in San Antonio de los Baņos, Cuba. She has worked as an editor with several filmmakers in the New York area and abroad to produce socially minded and creative films. Among other projects, she was principal editor on the award-winning documentary "Free to Fly: The US-Cuba Link" by the prominent Cuba-based documentarian Estella Bravo. She also worked as an assistant editor on the Emmy-nominated film "The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo" by Amy Stechler. These and additional works have been screened in many venues, including The Tate Modern, MOMA, PBS, and the Biennale of the Caribbean. In 2005, Friedland was awarded a residency in Pont-Aven, France through the Gauguin Museum of Pont-Aven to produce the film "Breath on the Mirror", co-directed with Vanessa Woods, which has been screened at numerous festivals. Friedland is currently an MFA candidate for 2009 from the Integrated Media Arts program at Hunter College. filmography - Thing with no Name (2007) - Breath on the Mirror (2006) festivals Renderyard, London Independent , Boston International , LA International notes Sarah Friedland and Esy Casey will be available for Q&A after the screening. related links
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