3 Needles
Dir: Thom Fitzgerald, Canada, 2006, 35mm, 127 mins

This intense social drama from writer-director Thom Fitzgerald chronicles the spread of AIDS on three continents – Asia, Africa and North America – and the wrenching, controversial choices that three sets of people make to cope with the disease. Outstanding performances from a stellar cast including Stockard Channing, Chloe Sevigny, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh and Olympia Dukakis lead this powerful exploration of the ignorance, misinformation, stigma and greed that have fed the spread of the global epidemic.

In China, Jin Ping (Lucy Liu) runs an illegal blood collection service, paying local peasants $5 for a pint of blood which she sells to hospitals in Shanghai. Unwittingly, she sets off an epidemic that tears through a whole village.

In Montreal, second rate porn star Denys (Shawn Ashmore) is faking his monthly blood tests to stay in the business. When his deception is uncovered, his mother Olive (Stockard Channing) hatches a dangerous fraud scheme to save them from destitution.

In South Africa novice nun Clara (Chloe Sevigny) is part of a mission to convert the rapidly dying Africans to Catholicism before it’s too late. Naïve and optimistic, she embarks on a struggle to help a family of orphans but finds her faith challenged when she realises the consequences of what she has done.

Beautifully filmed, at times horrifying and profoundly moving, 3 Needles is infused with a deep sense of sadness and anger at what few choices people have when poverty is a dominant factor in their lives.

“Impressive… provocative… jaw dropping… stunning cinematography by Thomas M. Harting.” – Kevin Thomas, LA Times “Exceptional Performances!” - Variety

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