The HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among African American Women in the South
"Filmmaker June Cross does a brilliant job of seamlessly weaving the personal stories of courage in the face of tragedy, with the important task of providing accurate information about the social and political context in which the AIDS epidemic is growing."
- Gloria Ayee Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Political Science at Duke University
Broadcast nationally on Independent Lens,
WILHEMINA'S WAR is an intimate narrative of one family's struggle with HIV over the course of five years, amidst the AIDS epidemic in American communities in the rural south. Emmy Award® winning journalist and professor June Cross follows Wilhemina Dixon, who works tirelessly to combat stigma and care for her HIV-positive daughter and granddaughter. Wilhemina is a one-woman army, fighting against systemic dehumanization resulting from centuries of racism and a shameful lack of access to treatment. Her story touches on many structural issues that contribute to the alarming trend of HIV-positive women in the South, including lack of education as well as silence and stigma in local church congregations. At the intersection of poverty, race, politics and women's health, this urgent documentary shows the triumph of the human spirit.
Essential viewing for African-American Studies and Public Health courses.
Since our beginnings in 1972, WMM has grown from a feminist filmmakers' collective into an industry-leading nonprofit media arts organization and distributor. For over 40 years, WMM has transformed the landscape of filmmaking for women directors and producers, bringing the issues facing women around the world to screens everywhere. Now, with more than 550 films in our catalog, including Academy®, Emmy®, Peabody and Sundance nominees and award winners, WMM is the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world. Women Make Movies. By Women. About Women. For Everyone.
Women Make Movies gratefully acknowledges the support of our funders: The National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The Andy Warhol Foundation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
