From Durban to Tomorrow
Five frontline health advocates from different parts of the world work through victories and defeats forging a path toward a meaningful, universal human right to health.
With the inequities of global health more evident and stark today than at any point in history, FROM DURBAN TO TOMORROW recalls the mass protests led by people living with HIV in Durban, South Africa, which radically transformed the global landscape for human rights in health some two decades ago. These events in the year 2000 gave rise to a series of major advances in public health for marginalised people the world over, yet recent years have seen many of these hard-won gains severely eroded, putting tens of millions of lives at risk and compounding the threat posed by a deadly global pandemic. In FROM DURBAN TO TOMORROW, the stories of five frontline health advocates from different parts of the world underscore this rapidly worsening crisis and herald the impending battle for a meaningful, universal human right to health.
Trailer
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
The unfolding battle for equitable access to COVID vaccines is a timely reminder that the forces of greed are omnipresent in the realm of public health, flowery homilies about "caring", "curing the world" and "scientific innovation" notwithstanding. FROM DURBAN TO TOMORROW is a short but important film, highlighting the global connections between grassroots people's movements approaching fundamental human rights in health from different angles and making common cause to move the world forward to a place where the primary considerations in ‘healthcare’ are not runaway profit and intentional scarcity, but an understanding that we as a species can only rise or fall together.
PRAISE FOR THE FILM
“I just saw From Durban to Tomorrow. A perfect title for a remarkable film. I can’t stop thinking about how timely it is… and what a deep sense of dignity there is in its telling. It has a beautiful rhythm to it, like that of a beating heart.”
LOVELEEN TANDAN, filmmaker, Co-Director of 8-time Academy Award & 7-time BAFTA-winner Slumdog Millionaire
"Passionate, brilliantly researched and profoundly upsetting, Gray presents an unforgettable portrait of global struggles against big pharma today, as told by AIDS and public health activists from around the world."
JOHN GREYSON, pioneering queer filmmaker (Zero Patience) & writer, professor of film, York University
“Dylan Mohan Gray is back with another hard-hitting film [about] the ongoing battle for a rights-based future in global public health”
MUMBAI MIRROR
"Once again, Dylan Mohan Gray reveals a hidden public health scandal that demands our attention and action. All of us, as the fight against COVID has shown, have the human right to claim treatment that's available, no matter where we live, no matter how poor we are. Please watch this outstanding film and take action."
JOHN PILGER, legendary documentary filmmaker (The War You Don't See), Emmy- & BAFTA-winner
“From Durban To Tomorrow movingly captures the global struggle to realize universal healthcare and demand health as a fundamental right. I hope it inspires many more people to join this urgent fight.”
MADHUKAR PAI, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, McGill University
"An absolute must-watch, From Durban to Tomorrow picks up where Fire in the Blood left off. From corporate greed to public (ir)responsibility, Dylan Mohan Gray has deftly and movingly portrayed the kind of activism we all need to engage in if we are to smash structural barriers to access and to secure health for all."
UNNI KARUNAKARA, past International President of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF), professor of public health at Yale and Columbia universities
SCREENINGS & AWARDS
Preview Screenings:
Mumbai, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Porto, Kigali/Rwanda
Festival Screenings
2020 Mumbai International Film Festival -- Mumbai / Premiere
2020 Social Justice Film Festival -- Seattle
2020 United Nations Association Film Festival -- Palo Alto, USA
2020 Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Madrid -- Madrid
2020 I-View World Film Festival -- Delhi
2020 Terra Gollut Film Festival -- Girona, Spain
2020 Calgary Justice Film Festival -- Calgary, Canada
2020 Minority Health Film Festival -- Milwaukee, USA
2020 Red Deer Film Festival -- Red Deer, Canada
2020 Changing Face International Film Festival -- Sydney
2021 Panoramic Film Festival of India -- Chennai
2021 Bacalar International Film Festival -- Bacalar, Mexico
2021 Global Health Film Days -- Copenhagen
2021 Valparai International Film Festival -- Coimbatore, India
2021 New York Independent Cinema Awards -- New York
2021 Mannheim Arts and Film Festival -- Mannheim, Germany
2021 Prisma Rome Independent Film Awards -- Rome
Phoenix Shorts (2021 Phoenix Short Film Festival) -- Ottawa
2021 Impact Docs Awards -- La Jolla, USA
BRADOC (2021 Brazilian International Documentary Festival) -- São Paulo
2021 Auber International Film Festival -- Aubervilliers, France
2021 Silk Road Film Awards -- Cannes
London Shorts 2021 -- London
2021 Port Blair International Film Festival -- Port Blair, India
California Indies 2021 -- Los Angeles
2021 IndieFest Film Awards -- San Diego
2021 Boden International Film Festival -- Boden, Sweden
2021 Golden Sparrow International Film Festival -- Sirkali, India
Lift-Off Sessions 2021 -- Pinewood Studios, UK
2021 Luleå International Film Festival -- Luleå, Sweden
2021 Golden Harvest Film Festival -- Tokyo
2021 International Documentary Film Awards -- Rožňava, Slovakia
2021 Stockholm City Film Festival -- Stockholm
2021 L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival -- Kolkata
2021 Montreal Independent Film Festival -- Montreal
2021 Feel The Reel International Film Festival -- Glasgow
2021 Alvsbyn Film Festival -- Alvsbyn, Sweden
2021 New Wave Short Film Festival -- Munich
2021 Vancouver Independent Film Festival -- Vancouver
2021 London Indie Short Festival -- London
2021 International Multicultural Film Festival -- Perth
2021 Toronto Indie Shorts -- Toronto
Sixteen International Film Festivals (16IFF) 2021 -- Jaipur, India
2021 Chain NYC Film Festival -- New York
2021 World Film Carnival -- Singapore
2021 Tokyo International Short Film Festival -- Tokyo
2021 I Will Tell International Film Festival -- London/Miami/Trinidad
2021 Kiez Berlin Film Festival -- Berlin
2021 Genesis International Film Festival -- Moscow
2021 Madonie Film Festival -- Sicily, Italy
2021 Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival -- Los Angeles
2021 Calgary Independent Film Festival -- Calgary
2021 Long Story Shorts International Film Festival -- Bucharest
2021 Apex Film Awards -- Brighton
2021 Tietê International Film Awards -- São Paulo
2021 HECare Film Festival (Human-Environment Care Film Festival HECFF) -- Pickering, Canada
2021 Garden Route International Film Festival -- Garden Route, South Africa
2021 Jahorina Film Festival -- Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2021 We Film Festival -- International
ChangeFest (2021 International Social Change Film Festival) -- Chicago
Film For Peace 2021 -- Toronto
2021 San Antonio Black International Film Festival -- San Antonio
2021 CIIFF Cannes International Independent Film Festival -- Cannes
Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival 2021 -- Amsterdam
2021 World Independent Cinema Awards (WICA) -- New York
2021 Jozi Film Festival -- Johannesburg
Thess International Shorts (TiSFF) 2021 -- Thessaloniki
2021 Lampa Festival of Social Cinema -- Perm, Russia
2021 Lebanese Independent Film Festival -- Beirut
2021 Anarchy Film Festival -- Manchester
2021 globaLE Leipzig Film Festival -- Leipzig
2021 Red Rock Film Festival -- Utah
2021 Hong Kong World Film Festival -- Hong Kong
2021 Virtual South Asian Film Festival -- Dallas/New York
2021 Africa Human Rights Film Festival -- Johannesburg
2021 Festival Internacional de Cine Africano -- Buenos Aires
2021 Dharamshala International Film Festival -- Dharamshala, India
2021 North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival -- Fargo
Essex DocFest 2021 -- Colchester, UK
2021 Djarfogo International Film Festival -- Cape Verde
The Hague Global Cinema Festival 2021 -- The Hague
2021 Maui Film Festival -- Maui
2021 New Haven International Film Festival -- New Haven
2021 Utopia Film Festival -- Maryland
2021 African Film Festival Atlanta -- Atlanta
2021 Liberty International Film Festival -- Seoul
New Generation Film Festival (NGFF) 2021 -- Belgrade
2021 Luminous Frames Film Festival -- Copenhagen
2021 Amsterdam International Film Festival -- Amsterdam
2021 Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival -- Madurai, India
2021 Festival International du Cinéma Numérique de Cotonou -- Cotonou, Benin
2021 African Film Festival -- Kabale, Uganda
2021 Social Justice Film Festival of India -- India (various locations)
2021 Lifft India Filmotsav World Cine Fest -- Lonavla, India
2021 Texas Film Festival -- Austin
2022 Courage Film Festival -- Berlin
NewFilmmakers NY 2022 -- New York
2022 Docs Without Borders Film Festival -- Delaware
2022 ART x SDGs Festival -- New York
2022 Auroville Film Festival -- Auroville, India
2022 Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival -- Berlin
2022 Frozen River Film Festival -- Winona, USA
2022 Medellín International Film Festival -- Medellín, Colombia
2022 Black Hills Film Festival -- Rapid City, USA
2022 Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival -- Manchester
2022 Sensus Film Festival -- Saint Petersburg
Forthcoming Festivals & Screenings (announced; other announcements pending)
2022 New Jersey Documentary Film Festival -- Sparta, NJ (May 13-15)
2022 SonderBlu Film Festival -- New York (June 25)
Awards
Best Feature Documentary -- 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Sweden
Best Documentary -- 2021 Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Tokyo
Best Human Rights Film & Best Social Justice Film -- 2021 Hong Kong World Film Festival, Hong Kong
Best International Documentary Short -- 2021 New York Independent Cinema Awards
Best International Documentary & Best Script -- BRADOC (2021 Brazilian International Documentary Festival), São Paulo
Best Documentary Short & Best Film: Health/Science/Medicine -- 2021 Impact Docs Awards, La Jolla, USA
Best Feature Documentary -- 2021 Auber International Film Festival, Aubervilliers, France
Best Film on Human Rights (Short) -- 2021 Panoramic Film Festival of India, Chennai
Best Human Rights Feature Film -- 2021 Bacalar International Film Festival, Bacalar, Mexico
Best Documentary Short Film -- 2021 Valparai International Film Festival, Coimbatore, India
Best Documentary, Honourable Mention -- 2021 Mannheim Arts and Film Festival, Mannheim, Germany
Best Director, Documentary & Best Documentary Short Film & Best Film Poster -- 2021 Sasee Film Awards, Tamil Nadu, India
Grand Prize & Best Social Justice Film -- 2021 Silk Road Film Awards, Cannes
Best Documentary Short Film -- 2021 Port Blair International Film Festival, Port Blair, India
Best Short Documentary -- 2021 Stockholm City Film Festival, Stockholm
Best International Documentary Short -- California Indies 2021, Los Angeles
Best Film: Liberation/Social Justice/Protest -- 2021 IndieFest Film Awards, San Diego
Best Documentary Short Film -- 2021 Golden Sparrow International Film Festival, Sirkali, India
Best Short Documentary -- 2021 Luleå International Film Festival, Luleå, Sweden
Best Experimental Film -- 2021 L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival, Kolkata
Special Jury Prize, Documentary Short -- Sixteen International Film Festivals (16IFF) 2021, Jaipur, India
Best Documentary -- 2021 Golden Harvest Film Festival, Tokyo
Best Documentary -- 2021 World Film Carnival, Singapore
Best Human Rights Film -- 2021 Kiez Berlin Film Festival, Berlin
Best Human Rights Film & Best Health and Medicine Film -- 2021 Madonie Film Festival, Sicily, Italy
Bronze Tilapia Social Awareness Award -- 2021 Tietê International Film Awards, São Paulo
Honourable Mention, Best Documentary Short -- 2021 Djarfogo International Film Festival, Cape Verde
Best Documentary -- 2021 Long Story Shorts International Film Festival, Bucharest
Best Documentary Short -- New Generation Film Festival (NGFF) 2021, Belgrade
Best Original Story -- 2021 Amsterdam International Film Festival, Amsterdam
Best Documentary Film -- 2021 Lifft India Filmotsav World Cine Fest, Lonavla, India
Best Documentary Short Film -- 2021 Texas Film Festival, Austin
Exceptional Merit Award, Best Film on Health -- 2022 Docs Without Borders Film Festival, Delaware
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
KEY CREDITS
featuring
MEENA SESHU MOUSLIHOU DIALLO PÉTER SÁROSI VANESSA LÓPEZ VUYISEKA DUBULA MAJOLA
edited by ABHRO BANERJEE RONELLE LOOTS
original music LUCA PETRACCA
music supervisor ASHUTOSH PHATAK
colourist NICOLA GASPARRI
sound mix RAJIV KENKRE ABHINAV RAMACHANDRAN
associate producers MONICA D’SOUZA ROCHAN GANU
executive producer BRETT DAVIDSON
director of photography JAY J. ODEDRA
written, directed and produced by DYLAN MOHAN GRAY
TECH SPECS
ACQUISITION FORMAT Canon C300 MK IIVIDEO MASTER FORMAT Apple ProRes 422 HQ 1920x1080SOUND StereoDURATION / TRT 00:39:58ASPECT RATIO 2.39:1 in 16:9 containerAVAILABLE LANGUAGE VERSIONS: Original (open caption English subtitles), Spanish (film & trailer with open caption Spanish subtitles), French (film with open caption French subtitles & voiceover)
SHOOTING LOCATIONS
Durban, Cape Town & Hermanus, South AfricaConakry, Republic of GuineaMadrid & Mérida, SpainSangli, IndiaBudapest, Hungary
DIRECTOR BIO
Dylan Mohan Gray is a Mumbai-based writer and filmmaker. His projects include the documentary feature "Fire in the Blood", which premiered at Sundance and went on to have the longest theatrical run of any non-fiction film in Indian cinema history. Selected at over 100 international film festivals, winner of numerous awards and the first documentary from India to be released theatrically in both the US and UK, "Fire in the Blood" helped change the global conversation around access to lifesaving medicine. In 2019, it was named one of "26 landmark documentary films of the past seven decades" in The Power of the Documentary, a major retrospective curated by legendary documentarian John Pilger.
Most recently Dylan directed Netflix's first India-focussed non-fiction original, “The King of Good Times”, opening film of the documentary anthology series Bad Boy Billionaires. It enjoyed a multiple-week run as the #1 most-watched title across all genres on Netflix India, was the most-watched documentary of the year 2020 in India, and won India's top film honour, the Filmfare Award, in 2021.
Originally trained as a historian, Dylan has a special interest in stories with linkages to contemporary history and is currently working on several projects in this vein.
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This page was last updated on 02 April 2022 and information is understood to be current/accurate as of that date.