MANILA – December 2, 2013 (Updated December 5, 2013) – What there is: lovers tangled in sheets, gentle curves, gentle sighs. Sweat and skin, bodies intertwined in the soft daylight.
Released in time for World AIDS Day, Brillante Mendoza’s Eternal is a tender short film that carries a message that will hopefully remain long after the 1:25 minutes that it runs.
Eternal – A Short Film by Brilliante Mendoza from The Red Whistle on Vimeo.
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"We made a video for World AIDS Day, on December 1… we hope it inspires everyone to stay safe," the video’s description read, noting that the Philippines is one of the seven countries where incidence of HIV infection continues to rise with a third of new infections occurring among young people.
The video is part of The Red Whistle campaign, a non-government organization supported by Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. In the Philippines, six new infections are recorded every day. The Red Whistle is a response to this situation.
"HIV cases are dropping by 50 percent around the world, the incidence of HIV infection in the Philippines continues to rise, with a third of new infections occurring among young people. We hope to inspire the youth to keep safe, so they can continue to enjoy it for many years," shared Bryan Siy, Creative Director at TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno which, as part of its corporate social responsibility, offered its services to make The Red Whistle louder.
"From the very beginning, he was our only choice. We didn’t want a TV spot. We wanted authenticity. He is a brilliant filmmaker whose authentic portrayal of human existence is critically acclaimed. HIV Awareness is also an advocacy that’s close to his heart," Siy said of Mendoza, adding that the film also provided an opportunity to reunite him with TBWA SMP’s Melvin Mangada, producer of his movie, Thy Womb, the most internationally acclaimed Filipino Film of 2012.
Of Eternal, Siy said, "We were fortunate to have found a couple in their late 60s who believe in the advocacy. Married for more than 30 years, they have generously allowed us to film them during their most intimate moment."
He added that the film was viewed 10,673 times on the first day, close to 20,000 times after five days. It also got 668 likes and 102 shares on Facebook.
With the vision of a country with the courage and right state of mind to deal with HIV, TBWA\SMP set out to make people realize that HIV is closer to home than they think. This was done with TBWA’s core tool of disruption: drop the issue on the lap of the government, and challenge the stereotype by turning apathetic individuals into activists fighting for the cause of The Red Whistle.
Siy told adobo, "For many years, TBWA\SMP and Red Whistle, have been working together to raise awareness of HIV. Last year, we brought together Senator Miriam Santiago, Boy Abunda, Gretchen Barretto and other stars to challenge the growing epidemic and blow the red whistle."
The campaign’s objectives are to 1. raise awareness on the situation to encourage community action; 2. deliver safer sex messages designed to reach communities affected by the epidemic; and 3. help facilitate access or referral to HIV services, including HIV testing, treatment, and support services.
To learn more and join the campaign, visit The Red Whistle Facebook page.
Credits
Creatives: Melvin Mangada, Bryan Siy, Ali Silao.
Producers: Francis Bagnes and Sunny Lucero.
