The Road We Know

(An 88 minute feature documentary in English with some subtitles)

Sexual decisions have deadly consequences. Can a small group of college students from Botswana challenge conventional wisdom about AIDS in Africa to save their generation? THE ROAD WE KNOW explores the impact of HIV/AIDS in Botswana through the efforts of these young adults who boldly advocate for behavior change to save lives. Facing cultural taboos and difficult travel, this small group sets out across the nation for five weeks with three tents, one car, and a radical solution to save lives.

Celebrated as one of the most stable and prosperous of African countries, Botswana is also handicapped by the world’s second-highest HIV infection rate. AIDS has a devastating impact there, where one-quarter of the population is infected. This epidemic has created thousands of orphaned children and reduced the overall life expectancy of Botswana by more than 20 years. Yet, many there won’t often speak about their HIV status or encourage candid conversation about sexual behavior and HIV.

But that is changing. Breaking strict cultural taboos, a small group of college-age activists traveled around Botswana for five weeks, speaking at high-school rallies about AIDS and sex to their younger peers, counseling them about the facts of the disease, and urging them to prevent the spread of HIV by limiting their sexual partners.

THE ROAD WE KNOW captures the ups and downs of seven of those activists as they traveled through the rural villages and booming mining towns of Botswana in 2009. Through their eyes, viewers learn about the impact of diamond-mining wealth and sugar daddies, the ongoing use of witch doctors and traditional medicine in rural areas, and the stories that motivated the team to get involved.

The film captures a moment as the tide began to turn in Botswana. The 2010 UNAIDS Outlook report says for the first time, reductions in HIV prevalence among young people have coincided with a change in sexual behavior patterns. The good news, according to UNAIDS, is that "young people are leading the HIV prevention revolution."