The film event will take place in 17 Belarusian cities on World AIDS Day

December 1, Minsk /BELTA/. Today, on World AIDS Day, 17 Belarusian cinemas will screen the film "Virus". Admission to the screenings is free, as reported to BELTA by the press service of the project "Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Belarus," implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. The republican film event will take place in 17 cities of Belarus. Viewers are expected in Minsk (Pobeda Cinema, 7:00 PM), Brest (Belarus Cinema, 7:00 PM), Pinsk (Pobeda Cinema, 4:00 PM), Vitebsk (Dom Kino, 4:00 PM), Gomel (Kalinin Cinema, 4:00 PM), Zhlobin (Rodina Cinema, 7:00 PM), Kalinkovichi (Znamya Cinema, 3:00 PM), Mozyr (Mir Cinema, 4:30 PM), Svetlogorsk (Yunost Cinema, 5:00 PM), Bobruisk (Mir Cinema, 2:00 PM), Oktyabrsky urban settlement (Bumazhkov Cinema, 3:00 PM), Lida (Yubileiny Cinema, 3:00 PM), Soligorsk (Zorka Venera Cinema, 4:00 PM), Mogilev (Rodina Cinema, 3:00 PM), Osipovichi (District Culture Center, 3:00 PM), Rechitsa (Belarus Cinema, 4:00 PM), and Rogachev (Luch Cinema, 3:00 PM). During the film event, video clips on the topic of AIDS will be shown, as well as the film "Virus" (1993, USA). The film takes viewers back to a time when the concept of "AIDS" did not exist, and people were defenseless against a disease that could affect adults and children, men and women, drug users and teetotalers, the rich and the poor, people of traditional and non-traditional sexual orientation. When cases of death from an unknown disease became more frequent in major US cities, doctors, despite limited resources, conducted their investigation and raised the alarm. However, not everyone believed in the existence of the danger and the human immunodeficiency virus – HIV – immediately. This is a story about how many problems and contradictions had to be resolved, how many closed doors had to be overcome, and how many human lives were destroyed before the world learned that people's lives were in danger. It is a story of fear and hope, death and life, as well as the great work of those who faced an unknown threat alone and managed to turn our world towards the problem of AIDS. Now, as new data on the scale of the epidemic that swept the world in the late 80s become known every day, as huge funds are spent on the fight against AIDS, and as AIDS is openly discussed, the film helps to realize the importance of maintaining the will to live, uniting in the fight against the spread of the epidemic, and supporting people living with HIV. This powerful drama is based on the documentary book by American journalist Randy Shilts, "And the Band Played On." In it, Shilts noted: "The story of politics, people, and the AIDS epidemic is a story of courage and cowardice, compassion and prejudice, salvation and despair. This story is worth telling so that it never, anywhere, and with anyone repeats again..." The film stars famous actors such as Richard Gere, Phil Collins, and Alan Alda. Half an hour before the start of each screening, the campaign "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise" will take place. Prizes for the best promise include a t-shirt, a cap, and a backpack. The "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise" campaign was launched worldwide on December 1, 2005. It offers a real action plan: get tested for HIV; give warmth and understanding to people living with HIV; do not use drugs; exercise; be faithful to your loved one. The motto of the campaign is: "It is difficult to save the whole world, but you can start with yourself and those you love!" On December 1, the exhibition "Door!?" will open at the Pobeda Cinema in the capital. This art project helps each person realize the value of life through empathy with the main character of the story. The plot is based on the real-life facts of Anastasia Kamlyk. The exhibition tells about the path, obstacles, experiences, feelings, and thoughts of a person diagnosed with HIV infection; about their close circle and society as a whole. The organizer of the exhibition is the NGO "Positive Movement." According to official statistics, as of November 1, 2009, 10,529 cases of HIV infection were registered in Belarus. The majority of people infected with HIV are young people aged 15 to 29. World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1. Each year it is dedicated to a specific theme reflecting one aspect of the epidemic. This year, the day will be held under the slogan "Universal Access and Human Rights." The theme was chosen to draw attention to the need to protect human rights and achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. -0-