Three short films by Nigerian film-makers are among 93 films shortlisted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) staff from all over the world for the 4th WHO Health for All Film Festival this year.
The films are ‘Cold Talk’, a fictional film on gender-based violence, psychological abuse and rape directed by Kanyinsola Salami; ‘Waste disposal and its impact in our society’, a documentary on waste management/pollution directed by Chikezie Chukwunonye Onuoha, and ‘Rami CIki (Hole Inside)’, a fictional film on Vesico Vaginal Fistula and pregnancy at young age directed by Daniel Eronlan.
Other African countries on the shortlist are South Africa, Liberia, Republic of Benin, Namibia, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Chad, Algeria, Egypt, and Malawi.
According to the WHO, the 93 shortlisted films, selected from more than 780 film entries received for this year’s Health for All Film Festival, fall into three major categories and three special prizes.
Category 1 (Universal Health Coverage) features three-to-eight-minute-long films about mental health, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and other UHC stories linked to communicable diseases that are not part of the Health Emergencies category.
Category 2 (Health Emergencies) also feature three-to-eight-minute-long films about health emergencies in the current humanitarian context; for instance, COVID-19, Ebola Virus Disease, disaster relief, and health in war zones.
Films in Category 3 (Better Health and Well-being) and also three to eight minutes long) and are about environmental and social determinants of health, such as nutrition, sanitation, pollution, gender, and/or health promotion, or health education.
There is a Special Prize (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights). The films in this segment are three to eight minutes long and consider sexual and reproductive health and rights as a fundamental element to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples, families, and communities.
Similarly, films under Special Prize: Climate Change and Health focus on the health benefits of innovative solutions, or ideas tackling climate change.
The Special Prize: Very Short Film features one-to-three-minute-long films with a story in line with the content of the main three categories and/or the content of other special prizes.
Two of the three films by Nigerians, Rami CIki “Hole inside” and ‘Cold Talk’, fall under Special Prize: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights category while the third, ‘Waste disposal and its impact in our society’, falls under Special Prize: Climate Change and Health.
Some of the other shortlisted films include ‘Response to severe malaria in Benin: Fighting the fatality’, a documentary on malaria directed by Moubarakou LIADI (Benin); ‘Break the Silence’, a fictional film on mental health, depression and anxiety directed by Aziza Jaffer (Burundi); ‘The Tyranny of Distance’, a documentary from Liberia on access to care in remote areas directed by Gabriel Diamond and Matthew Beighley (United States); ‘Akili’, a film on mental health, depression and suicide directed by Dr. Esperance Luvindao and Olavi Nyau (Namibia); ‘Jonathan’s Miracle Feet’, a documentary from Sierra Leone on disability and clubfoot directed by Nantenaina Andry Rakotondranivo and Mamihasina Andriamaharojaona Raminosoa (Madagascar); among others.
The WHO said it has selected distinguished artists, professionals and activists including renowned Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, Mexican actor Alfonso Herrera, Indian musician Ricky Kej, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Tlaleng Mofokeng, Rwandan dance choreographer Sherrie Silver, among others, to make up the jury for the 2023 Health for All Film Festival.
The jurors will be joined by WHO senior experts and will in the coming weeks review the shortlisted films and recommend the winners to the WHO Director-General who will make the final decision and announce the winners at the online Awards Ceremony in June 2023.
The Health for All Film Festival “gathers powerful stories on many health issues from all over the world, bringing emotion and a human face to WHO’s scientific work”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Film has great potential to raise awareness of lesser-known health issues and improve understanding of people’s experiences with health – these are important ways to advance towards Health for All,” he said.
