By Verghese V Joseph –
Running Positive, an Indian documentary that explores the lives of two born HIV positive kids – Babu and Manik from Bengaluru who overcame the stigma of living with the illness, has made its official submission for the 93rd Academy Awards also known as the Oscars. The boys’ inspirational accomplishments at various national and international athletic meets, marathons and competitions worldwide are a testament of their spirit and endurance. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards will be held on on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at Los Angeles.
It is India’s first sports-based social outreach short film that documents their lives from Snehagram, a community health care center run by Camillian fathers in Bengaluru. It is a residential programme for boys and girls with a focus on vocational training and rehabilitation, and races along in their struggles, aspirations and achievements.
Produced by Elvis Joseph and directed by Jacob Varghese, the movie’s music has been set by Grammy winner Ricky Kej. The movie is supported by UN Aids. The film recounts the story of two adolescent boys born and living with (HIV/AIDS) from rural Karnataka, one abandoned as a child, while the other fights to overcome his fears of the future, battling the social challenges and its realities, are raised to become the voice and beacon of hope for children and youth living with HIV/AIDS across the world.
Babu and Manik, both trained under Elvis Joseph, also are inspirational speakers and voice against discrimination and stigma attached to HIV affected people all around the world. The documentary spans their triumph of the human spirit journey across five continents, 12 countries and one mission to eradicate stigma and discriminations. The documentary short film is derived from the project ‘Champion in Me,’ a sports initiative conceptualised for children and youth living with HIV/AIDS.
On February 5, the Malibu Film Society in California featured two from the sub continent: India at the Oscars —Saving Chintu and Running Positive!
“The documentary film celebrates ‘Triumph of the Human Spirit’ through visual documentation of a true story, by tracing the transformational journey of HIV afflicted youth from rural Karnataka spanning 12 countries, 5 continents culminating in South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Marathon. In fact, this initiative by the foundation has been recognised by the UNAIDS, a best practices initiative from India to the world,” says Elvis Joseph, producer of the film and director, Bangalore Schools Sports Foundation.
The Oscars will take place on Sunday, April 25, 2021, as a result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The show, which will air live on ABC, was originally scheduled for February 28, 2021. Coinciding with the Oscars celebration, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, initially scheduled to open to the public on December 14, 2020, will now open on April 30, 2021, also as a result of the health crisis.
‘Champion in Me’ a sports module was conceptualized exclusively for children and youth Living with HIV/AIDS in the year 2009. Over a decade the project has reached out to thousands of children and youth living with HIV/AIDS. Empowering their lives through Sports as a medium of transformation
This noble initiative has gained immense recognition and repute internationally Eradicating stigma and Discrimination among children and youth and bringing them to the mainstream society giving them equal opportunities and the right to play sports. Over a decade the project has grown from strength to strength accomplishing many milestones gaining international name and repute Champion in Me a customized sports program conceptualized for Children and Youth living with HIV/AIDS.
“For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”
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