Mr Splash embraces film in Aids fight

Recognising the role of technology in disseminating critical information, including HIV and Aids, MBC-tv personality Geoffrey Kapusa aka Mr Splash has embraced the power of film to raise awareness.

Diagnosed with HIV in 2006, Kapusa told On the Arts that he is prepared to take the fight against the epidemic to the next level.

And this time around it is his involvement with HIV 101, a film production house which has shot a film of his experience to spread the message.

Kapusa said: “The film has been produced by former BBC producer and reporter Thom Gibbs as a project that will enhance more knowledge on how the virus behaves once it enters the body.”

The film is about Kapusa and a lady called Isabel who, after being diagnosed with the virus, gets worried and had doubts over her life.

Lucky enough, she meets Mr Splash, a popular TV personality she has been seeing on MBC-tv, who is also faced with a similar situation.

“Looking confused having seen Mr Splash at the clinic, Isabel is anxious to know what Mr Splash is doing. But apparently, Mr Splash is at the clinic helping people like Isabel to cope up with living positive after being diagnosed HIV positive,” he explained.

Isabel just cannot believe that Mr Splash is also living positive as she starts asking questions.

Mr Splash used graphics to show the virus as little monsters invading the body while antibodies are also wondering over the ‘strangers’.

“A war of supremacy begins in the body. The virus begins fighting the body’s immune system and because Mr Splash is on treatment, he is winning the war against the intruder by generating as much antibodies as possible with the anti retroviral drugs [ARVs],” he explained.

However, this is happening while Mr. Splash is explaining to Isabel on the dynamics and behaviour of HIV when one is taking the drugs.

Said Kapusa: “Basically, I am telling Isabel of how the virus changes its appearance and behaviour when one is taking the drugs, and also when one is not taking the drugs accordingly. The whole affair is about balancing the power between the virus and the body immune system which if not on the drugs begins to get weakened and allowing the virus to regenerate and multiply in numbers.”

The film is multi-faceted. Apart from presenting a situation of the person who has not been tested and what happens to his or her body and the natural immunity. It is also telling a situation of his friend Eric who once stopped taking ARVs upon feeling better.

Hinted Kapusa: “Once you stop taking the drugs, the HIV virus regenerates and multiply heavily, destroying all the anti-bodies, overcoming them and making the body defenseless.”

At this moment, Isabel is convinced with the knowledge and illustration of the virus bahaviour once it enters the human body and what happens when you are diagnosed HIV positive and what happens when you are HIV positive and not taking the drugs accordingly. She now goes to tell her husband who has been waiting outside the clinic to also get tested.

The film is about getting down to the basics of living a healthy life after getting diagnosed with the HIV and how ARVs work with the body’s immune system. Once final editing is done the film will be shared through different channels such as TV and social media for people to access it freely. n