"This disease affects the secrets of your whole body. All the luxuries of the world finish."
Witchcraft, curses and devils. The diagnosis given to people living with Parkinson’s disease across Africa. People are stigmatised and marginalised by their families and communities, leading to a life of persecution and solitude for having an incurable and misunderstood disease.
UHURU is an intimate and emotive portrayal of life with Parkinson's disease in Tanzania. In a country with limited healthcare resources we follow the complex journeys of three people with Parkinson's. From the devastating impact of their symptoms to the struggles of obtaining an accurate diagnosis, we finally see the difference access to life-changing medication can make.
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"Medications have given me the freedom to go outside and walk. My body is happy now."
UHURU is the Swahili word for freedom. A word often used to describe the effects and feelings of starting medication for Parkinson's disease. People were once trapped in their own body, unable to move or leave their house because of this physically debilitating condition. While there is no cure, the drug levodopa-carbidopa allows people to manage and reduce their symptoms. Unfortunately this medication is not available or affordable for many in Africa.
Uhuru is also the name of Mount Kilimanjaro's peak where this documentary was filmed.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER: Olz McCoy is a young and emerging film director from London. His films have been featured on BBC News, Piccadilly Circus and screened at the BFI twice. His films are powerful, meaningful and emotional, driven by the belief that film is the best medium to entertain and educate.
hello@olzmccoy.com
PRODUCER: Dr Natasha Fothergill-Misbah is a Kenyan Postdoctoral Research Associate working at Newcastle University and consulting for the World Health Organisation. Her research uses qualitative methods and has focused around global health, ageing and Parkinson's disease.
tash.fothergill-misbah@ncl.ac.uk
CINEMATOGRAPHER & EDITOR: George Parker is a co-founder and creative director at Toy Soldier Films. Possessing a natural gift for powerful storytelling through film, he is passionate about documentaries that showcase diverse and under-represented narratives.
george@toysoldierfilms.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER: William Cammegh is a co-founder and managing director of Toy Soldier Films. Working as a producer and project manager on documentaries with a deep interest in geographies of development, education and health his work has taken him from Tanzania to Lebanon.
william@toysoldierfilms.com
