Iron Will - Scenarios from the Sahel

Moussah is a young man who has a hard time keeping his interest in women in check. For him, temptation is ever-present. With a friend already ill with HIV/AIDS, he is well aware of the dangers he faces. His male friends tell him about the prevention strategy they've chosen as an alternative to condoms. They feel it corresponds well to where they are in their lives right now. But poor Moussah doesn't realise that the expression they are using - "iron underpants" - is their way of talking about "mind over matter" in the sexual realm.... As a result, he gets himself into a hilarious mess!

By Fanta Régina Nacro, Burkina Faso, based on an original idea by Malick Diop Yade, aged 18, from Pikine, Senegal

Scenarios from the Sahel is a unique collection of 13 films exploring the issue of HIV/Aids in Africa. The films combine humour, drama and animation with information about the nature of HIV/AIDS and the best forms of prevention. They provide an insight into the daily experience of living with the disease as experienced by people of all ages in Africa.

In 1997, thousands of young people under 25 in Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso took part in a contest inviting them to come up with ideas for short films on HIV/AIDS. The contest was so successful that a second contest was held in early 2000. Special emphasis in this contest was placed on encouraging girls/young women, rural youth, and young people who do not attend school to participate. Scores of organisations worked in partnership to bring the conteststo communities, and almost 22,000 young people took part.

Scenarios from the Sahel (now known as Scenarios From Africa) is a community mobilisation, education and media project. It offers children and young people the opportunity to work with international directors in the production of short fiction films to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

For more information about Scenarios From Africa please visit the Global Dialogues Site here:

<a class="link" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.globaldialogues.org">http://www.globaldialogues.org</a>

<a class="link" rel="nofollow" href="http://tv.oneworld.net">http://tv.oneworld.net</a>