Rhys Edwards presents La mamma morta, a new short film from Welsh National Opera aiming to tackle HIV stigma in Wales.
Welsh National Opera recently took inspiration from an iconic Hollywood movie with the release of a new short film to mark World Aids Day, La mamma morta.
Three Letters: Tackling HIV stigma in Wales
The film, which references a famous scene from the Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington movie Philadelphia (1993), is the latest in a string of projects from WNO that have aimed to tackle HIV stigma in Wales. This project marks the final stage of the company’s Three Letters programme, designed and delivered in collaboration with Fast Track Cymru, which has produced a trio of creative releases since it was established in 2021.
Three Letters was spearheaded by Michael Graham-Court, from WNO’s Programmes and Engagement department. He was initially drawn to the project in 2020 following the announcement that Cardiff was to be a newly appointed ‘Fast Track City’ for HIV, assigned with the aim to end transmissions and stigma by 2030.
‘I was already aware that classical song had been used to chronicle stories about HIV in the AIDS Quilt Songbook – a rolling collection of pieces which started in the early 90s.’ Michael explains.
There was little awareness amongst the young people about HIV – neither about the history of the condition or its modern-day realities – because ‘there hadn’t been a concerted educational drive around the topic for several years’.
‘Given the amazing progress made around fighting the virus over four decades, I thought that WNO might be able to create something along similar lines which offered a more optimistic outlook and supported Cardiff’s (and now Wales’s) journey towards 2030.’
In the early stages of the programme, a series of workshops were held at Cardiff West Community High School in Ely. These aimed to educate young people about the contrast between past and contemporary perceptions of HIV and then invited them to create a brand-new song that encapsulated all of their learning.
Michael discovered that there was little awareness amongst the young people about HIV – neither about the history of the condition or its modern-day realities – because ‘there hadn’t been a concerted educational drive around the topic for several years’.
‘In a way though, that was helpful.’ He says. ‘It meant that the group came to the project with no preconceptions or prejudices. The students were such a thoughtful and empathetic bunch – they worked really hard to engage with the material, discuss concepts such as stigma, and try to understand what it might be like for someone living with HIV today.’
The workshops were led by HIV activist Mercy Shibemba and Nathaniel J Hall (star of Channel 4’s hit drama It’s a Sin), who both live with HIV and shared their own experiences to engage with the students.
All this resulted in – We learn, we know, we understand – the first song added to WNO’s Three Letters songbook, described by the company as ‘a statement of allyship and support from the young people of Cardiff’.
Following on from this success, Michael reunited with Mercy Shibemba for the second stage of the project. Mercy collaborated with singer songwriters Eädyth Crawford and Aliyah Wiggins on All These Dreams – a song which told her personal story of living with HIV.
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Mercy says that the main message of the song was about finding your voice and discovering yourself: ‘I wanted listeners to remember that living out your dreams and giving your dreams space to evolve is something we should all do.’
Reflecting on the process Mercy says, ‘It was easy to be vulnerable and objective. Art and life are mirrors to each other, and I think it’s inevitable that art will reflect what happens in real life.’
The song was released on all major streaming platforms in June, with a mural also unveiled in Cardiff City Centre to mark the occasion.
WNO is now two years on from the inception of the programme and reaches the culmination of all this work with La mamma morta.
La mamma morta
‘La mamma morta’ is an aria from the opera Andrea Chenier but is also well-known for its use in a memorable sequence in the Oscar award-winning Philadelphia.
The film follows Tom Hanks’ character Andrew Beckett as he struggles with societal stigma and health problems brought about by his diagnosis of HIV. Thirty years on, this new short film from WNO includes a brand-new recording of the aria which is featured alongside recreated scenes that better encapsulate the perspectives of people living with HIV today.
‘It’s important now to use storytelling and music to celebrate how far we’ve come and raise awareness of the modern-day realities of living with HIV.’
The aim is to draw attention to the contrasting experiences of people living with HIV then and now, particularly given the remarkable societal and scientific developments that have occurred since Philadelphia was first released.
Sung by soprano Camilla Roberts, with accompaniment from WNO Orchestra, the aria is included alongside a new spoken-word text written by Andrew Loretto, performed by Nathaniel J Hall – who fittingly returns to WNO for this final stage of Three Letters, following on from his work at Cardiff West Community High School back in 2021.
Considering the inspiration for the film, Nathaniel says: “Philadelphia exists in a canon of work about HIV and AIDS – along with Angels in America and Rent – and whilst these are all incredible pieces of work, they focus on HIV as life-limiting because of the time-period they cover.’
Modern advances in science and medicine have produced effective treatments which prevent transmission to others and ensure that people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. But stigma around HIV still exists, something Nathaniel believes can be tackled through storytelling.
‘It’s important now to use storytelling and music to celebrate how far we’ve come and raise awareness of the modern-day realities of living with HIV.’
‘People still face stigma, discrimination and rejection from others because of this virus – and in 2023, there’s absolutely no reason why they should.’
La mamma morta can be viewed on YouTube and further information about WNO’s Three Letters programme is available via: wno.org.uk/three-letters
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