May’s Film Night at the Pierian Centre is the first Bristol screening of The Starfish Principle, a powerful documentary about the fight against poverty and HIV in South Africa. Alex Gater, the film’s editor, will introduce the screening on Sunday 30th May – and the film’s director, Michaela O’Driscoll, will join us on a live link from Cape Town to discuss the film afterwards.
Michaela’s experience working with homelessness and addiction in London scarcely prepared her for the scale of the problems she met in South Africa. As the World Cup focuses global attention on the Rainbow Nation, it’s worth remembering the difficulties it still faces. The reality is that unemployment is running at 25% and South Africa has the highest number of HIV infections in the world. The former archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane said: "Never before in the history of South Africa have such large gatherings of people consistently said 'we have no food'. In a country where huge amounts can be spent on the soccer World Cup…. it is unthinkable that so many can go without food."

Michaela’s reaction to what she found on the streets of South Africa was influenced by her interest in Be The Change, a movement inspired by Mahatma Ghandi. She came across people tackling poverty and HIV in Cape Town who were clearly following Ghandi’s injunction to “Be the change you want to see in the world”. Michaela determined to do likewise – and her film The Starfish Principle is the result.

“We met many people who were making a difference in Cape Town,” says Michaela. “We made the film to alert people to the seriousness of HIV and poverty, but also to inspire them by showing people making a difference where they were and in whatever way they could – people taking responsibility and ‘just doing it’!” The film follows the work of individuals like Mel Novitzkas of Bosom Buddies, and the street ministry and soup kitchens of Pastor John Philmon – people creating a positive change in the communities around them.

Alex Gater, the film’s editor, was impressed by the action and the interviews that Michaela had captured. "I found Michaela's 20 hour footage inspiring to view,” he says, “and I felt that she had done a great job in letting the people speak for themselves. I could see the film inside the rushes, and was privileged enough to be given the chance to carve this vivid film from her photography."

The screening of The Starfish Principle is on Sunday 30th May. The Bar opens at 7pm, and the film starts at 7.30pm. Alex will introduce the screening – and Michaela will join us on a live link from Cape Town to discuss the film afterwards. Tickets cost £5 (concessions available) – and must be booked on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre.com. The Pierian Centre is at 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA. The screening is part of Bristol’s response to 2010: the European Year for Combating Poverty & Social Exclusion.