Beat the Drum

A Must See
I have seen this film several times while flying overseas. I'm anxiously awaiting it's release in the States to purchase several copies. Having lost a son to AIDS I know firsthand the struggles the patients and their families endure. I'm also a missionary to several African countries and know the magnitude of the stigma and suffering. Whether you're affected by this disease or not, this is a heart-warming story that you won't want to miss. It's an eye opener to the facts surrounding this disease in that part of the world.

Beautiful and Sad. I Cried for Africa.
Every once in a while a film comes along that really says something that matters. Recommended from another writer's book on poverty and social change along with BLOOD DIAMOND and TSOTSI, I picked up the film. It employed purely African actors and film crews, besides the director, out of a purposeful effort. BEAT THE DRUM ended up being one of those films that matters. Enjoy.

Set in southern Africa near Jo'burg, the story follows the journeys of a young boy named Musa. His mother and cousins have all died from the curse, but when his father dies from it at the beginning of the film, he is doomed to be known as the boy from the cursed family. He leaves his small village and heads to Jo'burg to look for his uncle and buy a cow for his grandmother, a journey which leads him into danger on the streets of the big city as he scraps for money and food amid the street riffraff.

The secondary storylines follow an older truck driver who is on the road a lot, whose wife does...

Beat The Drum---captures all aspects
This film is so well done. It captures all the different aspects the face many Africans dealing with the AIDS virus...from the lack of education and knowledge in the village to the issues of prostitution and poverty in the cities. We used it as the foundation for a curriculum on HIV/AIDS education in Zambia, Africa and with every question or situation from the students we were always able to reference back to the movie. It is educational, entertaining and will definately move your spirit.

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