First transmitted in December 2003

The Harsh Divide is a series of short animated portraits of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS, some of whom have access to treatment, and some who don’t.  Each of the individuals filmed reflect different aspects of living with the disease. The films use 360-degree panoramic portraits and animated stills taken by photographer Gideon Mendel.

Programme 1:
In the first programme, an anonymous HIV-positive mother of two HIV-positive children discusses the stigma of the disease and the pain endured by her and her children, while Nombasa, who is receiving treatment, campaigns for wider access to treatment.

Programme 2:
Buyiswa shares her concerns of leaving her seven children to fend for themselves when she dies. Sadly, she has since passed away. Noncedo, who is on treatment and runs an after-school childcare group, talks about the widespread assumption that HIV is a death sentence, and Matshaidiso, who has two children and is not on treatment, reiterates Noncedo's point that it is possible to live with HIV.

Programme 3:
This programme introduces the family, and shows the funeral, of Ncane Surprise Xulu, who was meant to participate in the project, but died unexpectedly before it began. Her brother talks about her life and the daughter she left behind.

Programme 4:
Vuyelwa is 25-years-old and very ill. She talks about her loneliness and physical pain and the financial impossibility of affording treatment. Thobani, on the other hand, is the poster boy for drug treatment. He has recovered from extreme illness to become very healthy, and now runs his own small business, having previously been unable to work.

To find out more about HIV/AIDS, have a look at the following features:

Staying positive
Teens living with HIV
What happens at a sexual health clinic
The history of HIV/AIDS

For more information about the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) project, and how you can support it, visit www.tac.org.za/treatment or www.friendsoftac.org.uk.

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