The fourth Film Fest was held at the 18th ICRDRH in Warsaw, May 2007. Thirty-one documentaries were screened from 15 countries. The film award went to FrontAIDS by the directors Eugene Zaharov and Sergey Bogatyrev from Russia.
Winner's Abstract
On November 9, 2004, 35 activist of the Russian FrontAIDS movement have carried out an unauthorised demonstration in St. Petersburg. They have created a ‘red ribbon’ – the symbol of the fight against AIDS – with their bodies, and have also brought coffins, to symbolise the large number of deaths resulting from an absence of medication. This and other radical actions were organized by the activists in order to alert media and decision makers on the dramatic situation with access to HIV prevention and treatment in Russia.
The Russian Federal AIDS Centre estimates that today over 1 million people live with HIV/AIDS. Of est 99000 people in need antiretroviral therapy only 5000 (5%) receive it. while 87% of PLWH are IDUs but only 5% of ART patients are IDUs. Most often IDUs are written off as unreachable or noncompliant. AIDS activists demand that the Russian government take strong, visible, and measurable action to ensure treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Russia.
‘We will live – it is our policy!’ reads the logo of FrontAIDS, and today activists yet again showed that they do not plan to give up until all people who need HIV treatment have access to life-saving drugs. The movie depicts activities and position of FrontAIDS activists during 2004- 2005.