NEWS | Hollywood takes on

us L ou b ser By Linda Krige o b

b y K P hotos SA health issues

ollywood writers, producers issues. “Writers always need ideas – that’s African industry to imparting health knowledge and behaviour is exponentially and executives visited South why they come to us,” she explained on messages through entertainment were greater than with traditional public health Africa in May as part of efforts her recent visit. clear. campaigns.” Hto inspire more global health Among the shows that have consulted “South Africa is a bit of an anomaly in storylines on popular US television shows. HH&S are not only a host of medical that we show edudrama in prime time. Life-saving impact The visitors were Karen Tenkhoff, a dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, ER and Some of the best drama on South African development partner at Walt Disney House, but also shows such as Army Wives, television is actually educational,” said Carol Barbee also testified to the Feature Animation who has worked as Law & Order: SVU and the soap The Bold Harriet Gavshon, owner and managing potentially life-saving impact that popular producing partner with Robert Redford and the Beautiful. director of Curious Pictures, the company entertainment can have, citing her time as on films including The Horse Whisperer The programme has been specifically behind edutainment hits such as the creator and writer of the medical and The Motorcycle Diaries; Carol Barbee, working to inspire more storylines on Intersexions and Hopeville. drama Three Rivers. The drama is set at a consulting producer on Hawaii Five-O health issues of a global nature, and has Intersexions, for example, was produced transplant hospital and each episode tells already seen these storylines increase from as an educational drama in partnership the story of organ donation from the only nine in 2009 to 27 storylines in 2010 with Johns Hopkins Health and perspectives of the donor families, the – an increase of 300%. The visit to South Education in South Africa (JHHESA) recipients and the doctors. Africa, followed by a visit to India, and SABC Education, with funding from “During the time the show was on air formed part of efforts to inspire a greater USAID and PEPFAR. In South Africa the rate of people registering to be organ focus on diseases like HIV/Aids, TB and specific health messages are often donors went up nearly 10%, with people malaria by putting writers in touch with carefully researched and worked into documented as saying they signed up to issues ‘on the ground’. scripts while they still aim to make series be donors specifically because of what To do this the Hollywood contingent as entertaining and accessible as possible. they saw on Three Rivers,” explained visited clinics and hospitals in and around South Africa was chosen as a Barbee. Johannesburg and listened to the personal destination for the HH&S visit partly due The day the network (CBS) called her stories of patients and recovering patients to the country’s long history of to say the show was cancelled, she got an and the staff who treat them, to try and edutainment. However, De Castro email from a woman saying that her understand the health challenges facing Buffington said that HH&S follows daughter had received a heart transplant the country and the innovative solutions ‘almost the opposite model’ when sending because the donor (a teenage girl) had HEALTHY DISCUSSION – used to address them. health messages. watched Three Rivers with her parents the Sandra de Castro Buffington “We’ve responded most to real stories While the programme tries to previous week and decided to become an of people who have really transformed encourage and inspire writers and organ donor. and creator of the medical drama Three their lives, and we’ve heard some amazing producers, it has no control over the actual “Our job is to make money for our Rivers; and John Max Burnett III, creator story tellers,” said De Castro Buffington. health messages that go out on the shows corporate overlords firstly, then to and executive producer of ’s “It’s been so inspiring, I’m sure we’re they work with, since entertainment is the entertain, not to educate,” said Barbee, The Troop. going to see a lot of creative output as a main aim of popular television. For “but contrary to popular belief Hollywood The group was hosted by Hollywood result.” example, while HH&S bought the is actually filled with people who care Health & Society (HH&S), a Hollywood industry experts to South deeply and want to make a difference.” programme of the Norman Lear Center SA vs Hollywood approach Africa, the visitors are under no obligation However, during the panel discussion at the University of Southern California, to use the material gathered. Hollywood and South African industry funded by the US Centers for Disease The Hollywood visitors also interacted “The purpose of the trip was to learn experts agreed that health messages are Control and Prevention (CDC), the with the South African educational about global health in a local context and strengthened when they are not sent out National Cancer Institute and the Bill & entertainment industry during a panel hopefully inspire its accurate portrayal in in isolation. Melinda Gates Foundation. discussion at the Market Theatre in some form,” she explained. Harriet Perlman from the Soul City According to HH&S director Sandra Johannesburg on 5 May. The South Although entertainment comes first in Institute emphasised that for educational de Castro Buffington the programme is a African industry was represented by the Hollywood approach, De Castro drama to promote collective action and free service to writers and producers of Harriet Perlman of the Soul City Buffington said they have extensive social change, it needs to be linked to prime time television and daytime soaps. Institute, Makgano Mamabolo of Puo documented proof published in scientific wider social movements and campaigns It encourages the accurate portrayal of Pha productions and Harriet Gavshon of journals of the impact of health messages for change within society. health issues in popular entertainment by Curious Pictures. in popular television. “When health De Castro Buffington concluded: offering story ideas, case studies, expert During the discussion the different messages are integrated into Hollywood’s “There is more power in acting together consultations and briefings on health approaches of HH&S and the South riveting storylines, the impact on than acting alone.”

8 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011