Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story

Midsumma, the Melbourne gay and lesbian annual festival, had, as part of its programme, two films shown at ACMI on 9 February 2008.

The first film, about the origins of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978 and the police violence that accompanied it, was the first film of the afternoon and was well attended.

The second film, Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story, was not well attended, yet its subject matter was topical and of international interest and appeal. Pieter-Dirk Uys's story deserved a house full because it is such an excellent documentary, and the story of his attempts to educate the South African population about the disastrous outcomes of the President's policies and those of his government in relation to the HIV/AIDS crisis, one of the worst in the world.

President Mbeki should have been sacked years ago, together with his health minister, so that the country could deal more ably with its AIDS crisis. Pieter-Dirk Uys highlights this crisis and his ways of dealing with it to the best of his amazing ability.

This film, on DVD, should be released around the world and given massive publicity and hopefully we will be able to purchase it in Australia very soon.

We are grateful for the opportunity of seeing such a fantastic story.