"Alicia In Africa: Journey to the Motherland" Preview

Alicia Keys lent her time to AIDS education, and NYU students got a sneak peak at the film that resulted.

Last night at the Kimmel Center, NYU's chapter of the Keep A Child Alive organization previewed the unreleased documentary "Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland."

In the film, Keys narrates her journey to areas of Africa devastated by AIDS. She meets people whose lives have been drastically affected by HIV/AIDS, including people who have lost children or parents and those who are infected themselves.

While Keys' experiences are heartbreaking, she discovers hope in the middle of devastation. She visits sites where Keep A Child Alive is supplying support by providing housing and medication. Keys also explores KCA sites under construction that will bring more AIDS relief in the near future.

CAS senior Kate Otto, founder of NYU's chapter and current employee of Keep A Child Alive, said the documentary is "a powerful piece of work."

Otto said the AIDS epidemic is too often displayed as devastating and tragic without telling the rest of the story.

"The second part of the story are the people on the ground who are enduring this, young people and grandmothers, who are literally getting up every day, overcoming and saying, 'This is devastating, and I don't know why this is happening to me, but I'm going to overcome it, and I'm going to figure this out,' " Otto said. "I think we forget that."

Otto said she loves working for Keep a Child Alive because they not only address the causes of the AIDS epidemic but also talk about how to overcome it.

"KCA College is certainly fundraising but is also awareness raising and events like this, communicating that the AIDS epidemic is something we can overcome. We just all have to get together and act in coordination," Otto said. "The movie to me is a powerful tool in conveying that message."

CAS freshman Francesca Eick, vice president of NYU's chapter of KCA, said the documentary is powerful because it brings a presence we know into a different context.

"I think it's a great way for Americans to relate to Africa because we're in the world of Alicia Keys," Eick said. "I think this movie can help bridge that gap." source