Closer Walk, A (ATOM Study Guide)

Relevant to senior secondary and tertiary students, A Closer Walk is the first film to provide a definitive portrayal of humankind's confrontation with the global AIDS epidemic. Produced in 2003 and directed, written and produced by Oscar nominee Robert Bilheimer, A Closer Walk is narrated by Glenn Close and Will Smith. The film explores the intricate relationship between health, dignity, and human rights, and shows how the harsh realities of AIDS in the world are an expression of the way the world is.

In A Closer Walk, incisive interviews with individuals from all walks of life, including the Dalai Lama, Kofi Annan, and Bono, combine with stories, portraits and vignettes of children, women, and men living with AIDS, and those caring for them, on four continents. The film celebrates human dignity, even as it bears witness to immense human suffering. All these elements are woven together in a film that is not only about a deadly infectious disease, but also about the human condition.

A Closer Walk raises fundamental questions about our responsibilities to one another, and tells us that if we act with compassion and conviction then we can indeed put an end to the worst plague in human history, and reaffirm our membership in the human family.

The study guide includes activities that are designed to encourage participants to explore the issues surrounding AIDS from a humanitarian perspective as well as providing basic factual information. Specific learning outcomes make this guide simple and effective to use in the classroom. Activities have also been structured to complement components of the film that can be viewed chapter by chapter, making this guide suitable for a single class focusing on the topic of AIDS or a series of classes that can be conducted for a duration suiting the individual setting and conditions.

In exploring the complex issues surrounding HIV & AIDS, the documentary raises questions relating to sexual and reproductive health, sexuality, gender differences, and injecting drugs. It is widely acknowledged that these topics are some of the most challenging issues to discuss openly for many people and especially for teachers and parents to approach their students and children with respectively

Curriculum Links:
A Closer Walk documentary and study guide are relevant to:

• Health and Physical Education
• History
• English
• Media Studies
• Science

The guide is also suitable for tertiary students studying health promotion, public health, medicine, nursing, community development, genetics, and many other science and humanities based courses as a comprehensive introduction to the diverse issues sounding HIV & AIDS.