4 Grad makes movie on HIV stigmas Joella Cabalu’s short documentary is part of Play it Forward campaign video contest Eee 4 Z CLAIRE INGLIS photo Joella Cabalu (right) with the cast and crew of her documentary at Vancouver AIDS Memorial. By DUSTIN GODFREY Langara College graduate is producing a documentary that will focus on dispelling HIV elated myths for an upcoming contest. Joella Cabalu is directing Leap of Faith in partnership with the non-prof- it Positive Women’s Network Society — a group providing support for HIV-positive women — in the hopes of winning the Play it Forward contest by Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Society. “The purpose of the film [is] to challenge people’s perceptions of what kind of person gets HIV,” said Cabalu. “T think the common perception is that it’s only an issue that relates to gay people, to people who live on the streets, to sex workers.” Cabalu said the film centres on the life of one woman known only in the film by her first name, Heidi. Heidi is professional and healthy so Cabalu said she feels that the general population will be surprised that she’s HIV-positive. For people like Heidi, social stigmas surrounding the virus can make publicizing one’s HIV status daunting, she said. “This was essentially [Heidi’s] leap of faith of being public about her HIV status.” Bronwyn Barrett, support programs coordinator of the non-profit, said the project’s creative direction has been left up to Cabalu, as per contest guide- lines. “It was really a matter of trusting her as a documentary filmmaker to put that forward,” Barrett said. “We were just very lucky that she put together [a pitch] that was really brilliant.” In an email response, Cineworks programs manager Jem Noble said they were attracted to the theme of altering perceptions in Cabalu’s pitch. He said they were confident from Joella’s previous documentary work that “she could handle complex subject matter with necessary skill.” “As an organization with 20 years’ experience supporting HIV-positive women in B.C., we felt Positive Wom- en’s Network was a great place for Joella’s talent to be put to great use.” Langara to host Just Film Fest 33 films on a variety of international and local is- sues set for screening By MONA BUTLER social justice film festival, will be held at Langara College again this year from March 20 to 22. The festival will showcase 33 films on a range of local and international is- sues and will be shown in the Langara auditoriums in Building A. Erin Mullan, festival coordinator with CoDevelopment Canada said the goal of the festival is Te Just Film Festival, B.C.’s largest ILM to inspire people to push for _ social 0 Wa ch change in their com- munity. Mullan said it can MARCH 20 be difficult to spread - Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley at 7 the word about the p.m. festival. “We live in a world where people are isolated, watch- ing things on little screen and we want to bring those peo- ple together.” Each year, the fes- tival features films made by Langara alumni. Coni Martin, a documentary film production gradu- ate, is one of them. Her documentary, My Favourite Leg, features Paralympic Source: www.justfilm.org athlete Andrea Holmes and her four different prosthetic legs one for daily activities, a carbon fibre model for run- ning, one that is waterproofed for swimming and her favourite, one for wearing high-heels. “Andrea is an example that you can overcome your struggles and reach your highest goals, if you try hard enough,” said Martin. MARCH 21 - The Revolutionary Optimists at 1:15 p.m. - Uyghurs: Prisoners of the Absurd at 4:30 p.m. - Marmato at 2:30 p.m. MARCH 22 - Langara Student Film Festival at 12:15 p.m. - Vessel at 1:30 p.m. - Alive Inside at 330p.m. Metro to showcase South Vancouver’s Metro Theatre is rehearsing for its latest production writ- ten by Agatha Christie By TONY SU etropolitan Theatre Coopera- Mie: Society’s (Metro Theatre) upcoming production, Go Back For Murder, is a murder mystery that will remind the audience that the ac- cused are innocent until proven guilty. The play, written in 1960 by Agatha Christie, is an adaptation of her novel, Five Little Pigs and will hit the the- atre’s stage on March 21. It is about a daughter trying to clear her mother’s name who was found guilty of murder- ing her father. Joe Hinks, director of the play, said he isn’t looking to change the play drastically. TRACY-LYNN CHERNSAKE photo From costumes to lighting, everything in the play will replicate the 1960s and 1940s as the plot juggles between the two time periods. retro mystery because I’m the same person.” “T try to give my actors a fair amount of freedom so they can bring their own interpretations,” Hinks said. Sachi Lovatt will be playing the pro- tagonist in the play. It’s her first play with Metro Theatre. She will be starring in two different roles: the gacHi LOVATT daughter, Carla Actor at and the mother, Metro Theatre Caroline. Lovatt said Christie’s in- tention was for the actor to play both roles. “Tt is a challenge to play both, I have to make choices that [distinguish] them from each other,” Lovatt said. “What they’re like, and how they move, Hinks said the play takes place in two separate time periods, in the 1960s and in the 1940s and to distinguish that on stage, they are using different cos- tumes and lighting. “The past will have a lighter tone and the present is actually darker,” Hinks said. Shizuka Sato, the costume designer, said she went through Metro’s ward- robe to find the proper costume for the two time periods. “T searched the library and internet to [learn] how to choose [costumes],” Sato said. Sato said she also made two addi- tional costumes for the character An- gela Warren. With less than two weeks left, Hinks and his cast are close to finishing up rehearsal. 66 I try to give my actors a fair amount of freedom, so they can bring their own inter- pretations JOE HINKS DIRECTOR AT METRO THEATRE