The film, 'A Closer Walk,' and a panel discussion will take place Nov. 2

The film, 'A Closer Walk,' and a panel discussion will take place Nov. 2

"A Closer Walk" is a film about AIDS that was filmed on four continents over three years. Narrated by Glenn Close and Will Smith, "A Closer Walk" features cinematography by Richard D. Young, interviews with the Dalai Lama, Bono and Kofi Annan, and musical contributions by Annie Lennox, the Neville Brothers, Eric Clapton and Sade.

It will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, in 3M Auditorium, Owens Science Hall, on the St. Paul campus. A panel discussion will follow the film. The event is free and open to the public.

"A Closer Walk" explores the relationships among health, dignity and human rights. The film's rendering of the world through the prism of AIDS takes the viewer to locations in the United States, Ukraine, Uganda, South Africa, India and Haiti and offers personal stories by children, women and men who are affected by the disease. Those caring or advocating for people living with AIDS also are featured in the film. They include Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health, India's Dr. Suniti Solomon and Professor Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

The film screening and panel discussion are sponsored by the St. Thomas Service Learning Office and are made possible by a grant from Minnesota Campus Compact.