October 09, 2020

A Closer Walk



In 2006, I was a member of the Rotary Club of Alliston, Ontario.  With some members of the club, I went to a screening of the movie, “A Closer Walk.”  This movie really touched me.


The film is a documentary about the global AIDS epidemic and is narrated by Glenn Close and Will Smith.  It features interviews with numerous well-known figures, including the Dalai Lama and Bono.  The storylines encompass a broad spectrum of the global AIDS experience and include people from all walks of life: children and orphans and those who are caring for them; doctors, nurses, and social workers; human rights advocates; and scientists, economists, researchers, government leaders, and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials.


In the movie, the film crew travelled to Africa, where injections overwhelm the public health system and countless orphans face death.  Some of the main themes of the film were: the causes of AIDS; health and dignity; human rights; and the need for greater compassion.  The film is a brilliant account of the deadliest plague that humankind has ever known and is told in a way that inspires hope and action.


I was so moved by this documentary that I started a committee of three members.  I contacted Base Borden, Ontario, and we were given permission to feature this movie at the Terra Theatre-Cinema.  We printed some posters and local businesses generously allowed us to display them in their windows.