Natskygger

First the long wars took their toll among the inhabitants of Tanzania, now Aids is one of the major causes of death. Despite the growing number of people getting infected with this disease, education and preventive measures are still highly inadequate. If you fall ill, the prevailing interpretation is, you are bewitched. The film takes us to the western banks of Lake Victoria, where three relatives of Aids victims explain to what extent the disease has influenced their lives. According to a grandmother who has lost three children to the disease and who is now taking care of her seven grandchildren, Aids has disrupted traditional society. The priest Balira is desperate from impotent grief. "Why", he wonders, "has God chosen to torture me so?" Against this background the film also examines more existential themes like suffering and religious resignation. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)