Thing With No Name

Danisile and Ntombeleni are among the 39.5 million people in the world who are infected with HIV. Sarah Friedland's THING WITH NO NAME shares the intimate struggles of these two Zulu women as they reflect on their respective diagnoses and the prospects of treatment. In rural South Africa there are countless ways of referring to the disease, which plagues one sixth of the populace, without actually saying “AIDS”-from “Disease of Loose Fishes” to “Finisher of the Nation.” Accordingly, local understanding of and access to appropriate methods of prevention and effective treatment varies greatly. Due to the failings of public health services, both Danisile, at age 32, and Ntombeleni, at age 40, were diagnosed when the disease had already escalated to full-blown AIDS. As the two women make trips to overcrowded hospitals, take a variety of medications, and practice traditional healing rituals, their extended families and friends anticipate the inevitable progression of the disease. Accompanied by stunning cinematography, Friedland's measured exploration of the personal effects of this public epidemic is compelling, heartrending, and imperative. (In Zulu with English subtitles) – E.J.B.