An appeal for self-determination and herbal medicine in East Africa
"The Fever: The Fight Against Malaria" is a wake-up call: We, who are experiencing the horror of a pandemic for the first time, are reminded of those who have been struggling with deadly diseases for ages. The documentary rejects the same old view of African 'suffering' and accompanies protagonists who insist on self-determination. Their work with the medicinal plant Artemisia annua could perhaps save countless lives – from malaria and other pandemics.
Covid-19 shut down the world, but we must not forget other infectious diseases! Malaria has already killed more people than all the diseases and wars on earth put together: One dead child per minute is the cruel formula. As a result of the lockdown and the resulting deterioration in health care, the malaria parasite will even kill an estimated one million people in Africa this year – twice as many as otherwise annually! Black Lives Don't Matter?
But what if a medicinal plant could appease mankind's oldest parasite. An affordable medicine that everyone can grow themselves in the garden. In the crisis region of East Africa, alternative practitioner Rehema Namyalo, biologist Richard Mukabana and pharmacologist Patrick Ogwang are relying on Artemisia annua (annual mugwort): its isolated active ingredient artemisinin has long been used successfully by the global pharmaceutical industry in expensive malaria preparations. But in their search for local, cheap solutions, the researchers encounter fierce resistance from the pharmaceutical companies and great scepticism from their own governments. Not even the WHO wants to support their efforts. Is this really still about development cooperation or about colonial subjugation and greed for profit?
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Festivals / film awards
- 2021: RapidLion The South African International Film Festival, ZA
- 2021: Zanzibar International Film Festival, TZ, Offizielle Auswahl
- 2020: Berlinale Africa Hub, DE
- 2020: Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary, TR, Gewinner Hauptpreis
- 2020: Diagonale, Graz, AT, Offizielle Auswahl
- 2020: Fünf Seen Filmfestival, DE
- 2020: globaLE Leipzig, DE
- 2020: HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival Oslo, NO, Offizielle Auswahl
- 2020: International Human Rights Film Festival Taiwan, CN, Eröffnungsfilm
- 2020: One World Human Rights Film Festival, Prag, CZ, Offizielle Auswahl
- 2020: Take One Action Film Festival, Edinburgh, UK, Offizielle Auswahl
- 2019: DOK Leipzig, DE
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