Compliments of the Serpent--Exploring the Epidemic with @KCAFilms

Hello Beauties!

Let me start off by saying Twitter, though sometimes a place where all the crazies seem to join together and spew foolishness, is a wonderful tool. Through our Twitter page (click the link on the side bar), I learned about KCA Films and their project Compliments of the Serpent.

We communicated a bit. I was nosy (lol) so I went to their site and was greeted with a trailer for the film. I was intrigued. So, here's some information on straight from the source: Elsie Nwankwo, Executive Producer, and Novella Nelson, lead actress.

What is Compliments of the Serpent about?

   Elsie Nwankwo: I think our synopsis says it perfectly: Barbara and Mike Stanton, a middle-aged, African- American couple, endure the stresses of a strained marriage. When one of them visits the doctor for a routine examination, the couple receives news that alters their relationship forever.

Why was this film made and why is it important?

   Elsie Nwankwo: Compliments of the Serpent aims to increase HIV and AIDS awareness while provoking discussions about the disease's effect on the black community. According to CDC data, while African-Americans are only 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for over 50 percent of the estimated 40,000 new HIV infections each year. In addition, black senior citizens represent more than 50 percent of HIV cases amongst persons older than 55.

                              

Mike (Roscoe Orman) and Barbara Stanton (Novella Nelson)

What do you hope people will take from this film?

   Novella Nelson: Well, hopefully it is to educate people of the importance of checking your health and knowing your HIV status. When you are in a relationship, you really need to communicate and not keep secrets, especially when it deals with your health.

   Elsie Nwankwo: Absolutely! If we can get people to be open about their ignorance regarding HIV and face their fears then I think we've made a difference with our film.

 

Barbara Stanton (Novella Nelson)

What was your favorite part about making this film??

   Novella Nelson: (laughs) I liked the concept of the script which is what brought me into it intially. I think my favorite part was in the beginning, the potental for communication about HIV. I also enjoyed wearing a mink coat and working with Roscoe Orman, of course.

   Elsie Nwankwo: The whole process was an eye-opening experience for me. This was my first project and I'm so grateful to have worked with such a professional cast and crew.

What are your plans for after the film?

   Elsie Nwankwo: We're working on getting Compliments of the Serpent into film festivals. We're also trying to organize community screenings of the film nationwide. I'm also doing some research for my next project, a documentary that will be filmed in Africa.

   Novella Nelson: I just finished shooting a film called It's Kind of A Funny Story with the directors of Half Nelson and Sugar. I'm doing another episode of Glenn Close's TV show, "Damages." I have roles in Did You Hear About the Morgans? and The Last Airbender. I am also developing some projects that don't necessarily have me acting.

Images courtesy of KCA Films. To view a trailer, or find out more about the film, please visit http://www.kcafilms.com and check them out on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kcafilms

Disproportionate.

Disproportionate: Out of proportion, as in size or number.

Synonyms: Unreasonable, too much, unequal, excessive.

I research articles and such for this blog pretty frequently, and though I know the statistics, it never hit me until a few days ago how often the word disproportionate is used in reference to African-Americans and HIV. It also hit me how often I read or hear that word. Which, is like....never. Pretty much the only time I hear that word is in reference to African-Americans and HIV.

So, if you haven't done your homework (*side eye*) or if this is your first time here at Project Nefertiti (Hey BOO!) or even if you've been here before (you still have to read this *side eye again*) let me give you some stats: according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) African-Americans make up for about 13% of the US population; however, they make up for 49% of new HIV/AIDS infections. To break that down even further, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for African-Americans, and of all women who have HIV, black women make up about 67% of them. O_O.

So the word disproportionate works perfectly here doesn't it? But who wants to be a statistic? Not me. Instead of setting records for the population group with the most HIV infections, why can't we be the group with a disproportionate amount of college grads? Or the group that made the most advances in technology, or healthcare research or ANYTHING ELSE?

There are many reasons why African-Americans are greatly affected by HIV/AIDS. And even with the information available to us, I know for a fact a lot of black people don't really believe they can get HIV and do next to nothing to protect themselves. We've got to come together as a race and educate ourselves, protect ourselves, and educate others. With stats like these, an impact in our community is an impact on EVERY community.

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. So black men and women (and everyone ones, everyones) when you have the opportunity, maybe instead of talking about that new outfit you bought last weekend or what club you went to, talk about getting tested. (Women....come on. I know we talk about WAAAY worse stuff when we get together O_o). As always: educate yourself, get tested, and be safe.

For information about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, or to find a testing site, check out these sites:

http://www.hivtest.org/

http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/black/index.html

http://www.blackaids.org/

http://www.blackaidsday.org/