Mist in the Mountains from Philipsvd on Vimeo.
Alarming figures from the World Health Organization suggest that one in five Papua New Guinean men, women and children will be infected with HIV within the next decade. Similar figures are coming from other parts of the Pacific.
We have become accustomed to reading about Africa, Asia and other regions of the world but now the reality that HIV/AIDS is a pandemic in the Pacific is a challenge to the Church and to SIGNIS Pacific members in particular. Members that attended the Pacific Regional Meeting in February, 2007, watched Mist in the Mountains a film by Sr Zelia Cordeiro and Fr Philip Gibbs, both working in Papua New Guinea.
The film presents raw, stark images that can be both shocking yet fascinating. There are scenes from a funeral, of boasting irresponsibility, heartwrenching scenes of a grandmother caring for her orphaned grandchild, and community workers visiting a person living with Aids who surely did not have long to live.
The film makers prepared for a year, with visits to Porgera, the site of the film, a large goldmine in the centre of the PNG highlands that provides employment for 2,000 workers.
Thousands come to Porgera to seek their fortunes. The paradox of a large amount of wealth circulating, yet widespread poverty and unemployment leads many people, especially young people to engage in risky behaviour involving alcohol, drugs and sex.
Although Mist in the Mountains is a powerful documentary feature it has a strong educational dimension, including a striking graphic illustrating how the HIV virus damages and destroys the immune system.
Mist in the Mountains follows the destiny of several people in Porgera: Rex a young man who died of AIDS, Amie, a young woman who has been rejected by her family and who supports herself and her son by panning gold in an isolated spot in the hills, and Katherina who has taken an abandoned HIV positive child and is caring for the child along with her own children.
The scenario for Mist in the Mountains could provide a plot for a very negative outcome, however the film rises beyond desperation to offer avenues for hope. People are encouraged to go for a blood test. It is possible to live positively even with the HIV virus.
Communities are challenged to take greater responsibility for the situation. The focus is on two local women who are part of a small group of qualified HIV and AIDS counsellors, who go and visit people in their homes, and who, along with other interested parties such as the mining company, have started a day-care centre.