This is My Face
Original Title
Esta es Mi Cara- Director: Angélica Cabezas Pino
CGiii Comment
Reading the blurb...you would be forgiven in thinking that this film is going to be a bit of a trek.
It's not.
What it is...is a fantastic demonstration on how art can help. Yes, of course, there is soul-searching, painful memories and regret...but, all this reflection culminates into something so joyous and healing...it really does take your breath away.
In many countries the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS is still [firmly] in place. These men - of varying ages - have crossed their own self-drawn line. Their new-found-freedom, their release from judgment...is an absolute wonder to witness.
Whoever thinks that there is no power, no therapeutic value in art...really, ought to watch this film. Because, this is here is the proof. Happy and HIV/AIDS are rarely companions...this is a happy film about men living with HIV.
Well done.
No trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
In Chile, people living with HIV fear stigma, and often conceal their condition and remain silent about what they are going through. This is My Face explores what happens when a range of men living with the virus open up about the illness that changed their life trajectories. It follows a creative process whereby they produce photographic portraits that represent their (often painful) memories and feelings, a process which helps them challenge years of silence, shame, and misrepresentation. A lesson in the power of collaborative storytelling.