Pakachere will launch new TV drama series that explores many facets of love in this time of HIV/Aids at Mount Soche Hotel on Thursday.

Titled Love -- Stories in a Time of HIV/Aids, the new series is part of a national and regional campaign called OneLove which aims to reduce new HIV infections as a result of multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships. 
The film series brings together 10 short films for TV from 10 countries in southern Africa. The countries are Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. 

Pakachere Institute for Health and Development Communication Executive Director Simon Sikwese said each half hour film depicts a slice of life.

“The films speak of love and desire, secrets and lies in a time of HIV/Aids. In one of the films a woman is tired of duty and is trapped in a loveless marriage, in another, a traditional wedding day goes horribly wrong.  In the Malawi’s own film, After the Honeymoon, a couple returns from a disastrous honeymoon and struggle with communicating about their sex life,” Sikwese said.

According to Pakachere, the new TV drama series is rooted in rich research which was done by the 10 countries. It forms part of OneLove, the largest cross border HIV prevention campaign in the region which is tackling head on the issue of multiple concurrent partners.

In Malawi, the OneLove campaign was launched in October 2009.

Love - Stories in a Time of HIV/Aids builds on the success of the Untold TV Series.

“Last year’s Untold TV Series was our first regional film series for TV, which brought together stories from nine southern African countries. 

“It was broadcast on public TV in 2009 across nine countries in the region and research showed that the series was hugely successful and the audiences from across southern Africa identified with the films,” said Sikwese.  

Like The Untold Series, Love- Stories in a Time of HIV/Aids has also seen new and exciting talents emerge which is part of the large scale capacity building programme, said Sikwese. 

“The new series is also the culmination of an ambitious capacity building programme, in which 120 people: writers, producers, technical crew and directors from 10 countries (with Tanzania coming on board) were trained and mentored in the development and production of effective and entertaining drama,” Sikwese said.

Head of the Soul City Regional Programme Harriet Perlman said they benefited from Africa’s own talent.

“In collaboration with South Africa’s Curious Pictures, an intensive training programme was devised drawing on the skills and support from some of the best in the southern African filmmaking industry,” she said.

According to Pakachere, the intention of the capacity building programme was to transfer skills and enhance the film-maker’s abilities from script writing through to post-production, in a practical way. 

After the Honeymoon -- the Malawian film -- was produced locally on location by Kings Multimedia Production.  The film was directed by Jolly Ntaba Jnr who also directed and wrote The Test.

“Directing the Malawian film was an enriching and amazing experience. I got to work with Malawian local talent and most importantly learn from directors from the other countries who were part of the regional programme,” Ntaba said.

The film stars Emmanuel Maliro, a veteran stage and radio drama actor as Limbikani and Vanessa Phiri as Tinyade. In The Test, the audience was introduced to Limbikani and Tinyade as a young couple faced with a decision of going for HIV testing before getting married. After the Honeymoon explores the life of the two immediately after they got married and now struggling with sexual communication. The film aims to encourage couples to openly communicate to each other about sex life. Mphatso Chidothe is the script’s co-writer.

The new series will be screening on Television Malawi on Tuesdays at 20:30 hours and repeated on Saturdays at 10:30 hour starting from April 23 and on AFJ TV on Saturdays 20:00 and repeated on Wednesdays at 18:30 starting from March 20.
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