Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - November 29, 2006
Benjamin Kang Lim
China vies with the Dalai Lama for Tibetan hearts and minds and zealously seeks to curb his influence. The Himalayan region's god-king won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, three decades after an abortive uprising forced him to flee into exile in India.
After two years of negotiations and with the blessings of the Chinese Health Ministry, CCTV will air an abridged version of "A Closer Walk", a documentary featuring interviews with AIDS patients, doctors, activists and world leaders, on Friday, to coincide with World AIDS Day, and Saturday.
Two 30-minute segments, featuring an interview with Chinese Vice Health Minister Wang Longde but minus two terse soundbites by the Dalai Lama on the importance of human compassion, are to be shown on CCTV channel 10.
"I felt that the point that the Dalai Lama made in the film is made in many places by many people," director Robert Bilheimer told Reuters when asked why he had bowed to censorship demands.
"And I felt that the advantage of bringing the film's message of dignity, compassion and hope and helping the Chinese people contextualise the global AIDS epidemic far outweighed sticking to my guns on that issue and not showing the film here at all."
AIDS was a taboo subject in China until recent years. The government's slowness to acknowledge the existence of the epidemic contributed to its spread, especially in the central province of Henan where millions of people sold blood to unsanitary clinics in the 1990s.
The number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in China has jumped by nearly 30 percent to more than 183,000 so far this year, according to the Health Ministry which said the virus seemed to be spreading from high-risk groups to the general public.
A recent survey showed that HIV patients in China were still ostracised from society and discriminated against despite greater public awareness, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The abridged documentary will rerun on CCTV's mainstay channel 1 on Sunday and Monday, with viewership in the world's most populous nation estimated at 300-400 million.
A 15-minute preview will be shown at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, where Chinese leaders honour visiting dignitaries, on Wednesday.
The 75-minute documentary, narrated by Will Smith and Glenn Close, premiered in January 2003 and has so far been viewed by up to 15 million people from Africa to Asia to America and Europe.
"I think it's incredibly encouraging that the Ministry of Health decided to put this film on the air," said Bilheimer, 62, Oscar nominee for his 1989 movie "The Cry of Reason: Beyers Naude - an Afrikaner speaks out" about South African anti-apartheid activist Beyers Naude.
"I think it's a recognition that one of the biggest challenges that remains in China is the awareness challenge."
***
Additional reporting by Guo Shipeng
061129
RE061154
Copyright © 2006 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .