Yesterday, South Africa’s first commercial isiZulu film and the country’s Official Entry for the 2005 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, will be screened free-of-charge to the public across the country on 1 December, World AIDS Day. This initiative is an unprecedented joint effort by producer Anant Singh’s Videovision Entertainment, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The National Film And Video Foundation, M-Net, Johnnic Communications and Nu Metro.
Yesterday will be screened free-of-charge at all shows on 1 December at the following cinemas: Gauteng (Hyde Park, The Glen, MonteCasino, Clearwater, Brightwater Commons, Metro Benoni, Bedfordview, Museum Africa Newtown, Riverside, Menlyn Park, Hatfield, Woodlands, Sammy Marks); KwaZulu Natal (Pavilion, Nu Metro CineCentre at Suncoast); Western Cape (Cinema Starz Grandwest, Nu Metro V & A, Canal Walk, The Labia and Protea Neelsie); Eastern Cape (Cinema Starz Boardwalk, Walmer Park, Beacon Bay and Loch Logan).
Yesterday is an appropriate film for World AIDS Day as it follows the plight of a rural woman called Yesterday who falls ill and discovers that she is HIV positive. Her husband, a migrant mineworker, refuses to accept her condition and she is left to fend for herself and her young daughter, hoping that she will survive long enough to see her child go to school. Yesterday‘s dilemma is not unusual in South Africa and these free screenings are intended to bring to the fore the struggle of HIV positive people, especially rural women.
“We are proud of Yesterday and we hope that audiences respond,” said producer, Anant Singh. “The free screenings of Yesterday are designed to raise awareness of the HIV / AIDS and also provide inspiration to those affected by illustrating that courage and determination can overcome insurmountable odds,” continued Singh.
Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, John Samuel commented, “The story of Yesterday is a very simple, yet powerful one. In our fight against HIV/AIDS, we need these kinds of stories which tell us about challenges and difficulties, but we also need stories that tell us about hope and Yesterday is about hope. We are pleased that the film is being made available free to the public on World AIDS Day so that all can benefit from the strong message of the film.”
Chief Executive of Johnnic Communications, Connie Molusi commented, “Johnnic Communications and our subsidiary, Nu Metro Theatres are delighted to be a part of the initiative to screen Yesterday free of charge on Wold AIDS Day. We had no hesitation to put our weight behind this as we believe that all South Africans should see Yesterday.”
Yesterday will also be screened at the International Film Festival of India on World AIDS Day with Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan hosting the event. Last week, Yesterday‘s lead actress, Leleti Khumalo won an special jury award at the Cape Town World Cinema Festival for her outstanding performance in the film.
Yesterday is a Videovision Entertainment production in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, M-Net, The National Film And Video Foundation, Distant Horizon and was shot on location in KwaZulu Natal. Music was composed by Madala Kunene and it is executive produced by Sudhir Pragjee and Sanjeev Singh, produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring and written and directed by Darrell James Roodt.
