Documentary Aims to Educate Young Blacks About HIV

Throughout March, Access Montgomery's cable channel is running "Let's Talk About HIV/AIDS," a 29-minute documentary film whose aim is to educate young African Americans about the disease.

Chevy Chase filmmaker Cintia Cabib made the film with her sister Leila for the African-American American Health Program in Montgomery County. The women worked on the project for more than a year.

The film opens with facts about HIV/AIDS, including that 80 percent of current Maryland AIDS patients are black. Janesia Simmons, a health educator, explains the advice she gives young people about how to discuss AIDS with potential partners: "If you're not comfortable, you should not be engaging in sexual intercourse."

Personal stories are included as well. Karlene Mighty of Maryland describes the dismay she felt when learning, at age 22, that she had HIV. Mighty tells how her infection has led to advanced kidney failure, requiring more than three hours of dialysis three times a week. Mighty reminds youths to keep their life goals in mind when confronting critical choices.

Another person with HIV, Monte Wolfe of Washington, recalls that when he was first diagnosed, "I just saw black. I had to pull myself up out of that stupor, and just continue to live." He went on, however, to form the Brave Soul Collective, an arts-based HIV/AIDS outreach program.

Also interviewed is University of Maryland student Michela Wariebi, who talks about her choice to remain abstinent. "It's a hard decision to live with," she says. "It's not something like, 'I'm not going to drink soda.'"

Cintia said she hopes the movie, which won a Golden Eagle award for excellence in filmmaking from the Washington-based CINE organization, lives up to its name and "leads to people talking about the issue."

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