"I don't think that I have ever been as deeply affected by a documentary...WILHEMINA'S WAR reveals how racism enables the modern HIV epidemic." - Zoe Samudzi, Bitch Media
To support World Aids Day on December 1,
WILHEMINA'S WAR will have 1,347 air dates on 381 PBS channels beginning December 3, including WORLD Channel starting on December 5! AIDS is one of the leading causes of death for black women in the rural South. The story of Wilhemina Dixon, an uneducated daughter of sharecroppers who becomes a force in helping her granddaughter survive HIV, this powerful documentary is an invaluable tool for helping to destigmatize the illness through awareness and education.
"A film that hits you in the gut and leaves you questioning a state government that's doing nothing...or less than nothing...for its HIV/AIDS population."
WILHEMINA'S WAR is an intimate story of one family's struggle with HIV over the course of five years. Despite facing institutional and personal obstacles every step of the way, 62-year-old Wilhemina Dixon works tirelessly to combat the stigma and care for her daughter and granddaughter, both HIV-positive. This urgent documentary lays bare the intersection of poverty, race and politics with women's health and security in the rural south, while showing determination in the face of adversity, and the triumph of the human spirit.
"With statistics continuing to indicate that African American women constitute 65% of women diagnosed with HIV... it is important to share the powerful message of WILHEMINA'S WAR, which continues to shed light on the struggles of HIV throughout the South." - Imara Canady, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
From cutting-edge documentaries that give depth to today's headlines to smart, stunning films that push artistic and intellectual boundaries in all genres, Women Make Movies (WMM), a non-profit feminist social enterprise based in New York, is the world's leading distributor of independent films by and about women. Our Production Assistance Program assists women directors with their productions from concept through completion with fiscal sponsorship, consultations and other technical assistance. We work with creative, ground-breaking films which win awards at festivals around the world. Films and filmmakers we have supported have been nominated for or won Academy® Awards in 12 of the past 13 years.