Review by Cameron Maitland.

We are together, a documentary by Paul Taylor about AIDS in South Africa, will undoubtedly be used in classes for years to come. I’d assume the hundred or so junior high and high school students were brought from South Africa to England to put a face on the AIDS crisis, but while the film exposes that, it also serves as a cautionary tale about the hardships of documentary filmmaking.

Ostensibly the film follows Slindile, a young girl living at the Agape orphanage with four members of her family. Her parents died of AIDS, and the older siblings could not afford to take care of the younger ones so they send them to Agape, an orphanage “known for its singing”. Though Slindile remains the film's mouthpiece, the film's focus shifts to Agape’s plan to have the children sing in England to raise money, the impact of AIDS on the youngest children, recording a CD of Agape’s children singing, and on Slindile’s brother Sifiso’s slow decline at the hands of AIDS.

It is clear as circumstances changed and reality overtook potential storytelling, Taylor got lost in the shuffle. The film presents many emotional episodes surrounding Slindile’s life but never quite manages to hang it all around a cohesive story or point. I am already having trouble remembering the various things that happened within the course of the film as they mostly present themselves as randomly and inconsequentially as they would in real life.

Storytelling aside, Taylor chose an amazing subject in Slindile, and her humour, singing ability and grace make an easy emotional connection with an audience and you feel much of her joy and pain. Adding on to that a soundtrack of the breathtaking singing of the Agape children and you have a film that will touch you, even if you may not be sure why or how.

We Are Together
Paul Taylor | UK | 2006 | 86min

Fri. Oct. 5 | 1:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre
Sat. Oct. 6 | 7:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre
Tue. Oct. 9 | 10:00am | Empire Granville Theatre