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Tafelsig residents will have a look at a compelling short film about the lives of those who save lives.
Under immense pressure and with the constant threat to their own lives, paramedics working in the classified red zones have a mammoth task when working to uphold their call to save lives.
Red Zone Paramedics, a short film following the night shift of an ambulance crew in Mitchell’s Plain on one of the busiest nights of the year, will be screened for free to residents next week.
“Working in the very areas they call home, these paramedics regularly put their lives on the line, in areas that have high levels of violence. It is a film about the everyday experiences of life on the road, and features Abdul Waheem Martin – a paramedic and Tafelsig resident. The screening will be followed by a short question-and-answer session,” says Toni Stuart, part of the organising committee.
Stuart, a poet, has also written poems on the topic, which she will share at the event.
The film, filmed by medical doctor and researcher Leanne Brady, follows the experiences of paramedics on New Year’s Eve.
“Following the movie screening, there will be a community discussion to start building relationships between the paramedics and the community,” says Stuart.
The film will be screened for free in Tafelsig on Saturday 11 August followed by food, fun and activities including live entertainment and karaoke.
“Leanne chose to screen the film in Tafelsig because it is about the experiences of paramedics in Mitchell’s Plain and Abdul is from Tafelsig. Tafelsig and Beacon Valley are also classified as red zones [in Mitchell’s Plain],” she says.
“In the film, you really get the sense of what it is like to be a paramedic. We get to see him work and move through the areas.”
The running time of the film is 80 minutes.
