'Doin' My Drugs': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about HIV Awareness music documentary
In the west, the AIDS epidemic seems like it’s from another era - a once deadly virus tamed by medical science. But on the other side of the world, the crisis is far from over. Over 60% of people living with HIV reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Zambia, the official adult HIV prevalence rate is stuck at 13%. Guilt, shame, and stigma associated with the virus prevent many Zambians from choosing to be tested, so transmission rates remain high and unchecked, and the epidemic rages on.
Zambian musician Thomas Muchimba Buttenschøn, who was born HIV positive to Danish & Zambian parents, is doing something truly unique to get people tested for HIV: he's putting on a concert where, instead of purchasing a ticket, you take an HIV test. A new documentary, 'Doin' My Drugs', tells the story of Thomas Muchimba Buttenschøn and his crusade to use his music to wipe out AIDS in his native Zambia and beyond. The title is a reference not to drugs, but medicine. Read on to know more about the documentary.
Release date
'Doin' My Drugs' will be available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Cable, and Satellite On Demand on Tuesday, December 1.
Plot
The official synopsis for the documentary states:
"'Doin’ My Drugs' documents the extraordinary life and personal transformation of musician Thomas Muchimba Buttenschøn.
Born in Zambia in 1985 to a Zambian mother and Danish father, Buttenschøn is diagnosed as HIV positive as an infant. His parents subsequently learn they are infected. The family moves to Denmark for treatment, but by the time Thomas is nine he’s lost both his mother and father. After becoming deathly ill himself at 13, Buttenschøn begins antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and regains his health. He throws himself into music, becomes a Danish pop star, marries and fathers two sons.
While he can live a full and healthy life with the virus, he recognizes that his native Zambia remains trapped in a senseless HIV/AIDS epidemic. The government offers ARV treatment for free, but a staggering 13% of Zambians are infected with HIV and remain untreated. Thomas is inspired to use his music and personal story of survival and triumph to confront the stigma and fight the spread of HIV.
He asks, 'Can songs save the world?'"
Director
Tyler Q Rosen
'Doin' My Drugs' is directed and produced by Tyler Q Rosen. Rosen’s directorial stylings are best described as being in the Direct Observational Cinema tradition. Rosen and Thomas Buttenschøn have been collaborating for over nine years now. This film is the culmination of all they have experienced together.
Trailer
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'How to Survive a Plague'
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'120 Beats per Minute'