China HIV/AIDS Media Partnership to fend off HIV/AIDS with "Umbrella"

BEIJING, Oct.13 -- Under the coordination of the China HIV/AIDS Media Partnership (CHAMP), Umbrella was filmed in Beijing Saturday. It was directed by Lu Chuan, who also directed the box-office hit Nanjing! Nanjing!. Qin Lan, a young actress and real-life girlfriend of Lu, plays the leading role of an angel that shelters a girl from the rain. Using a red umbrella, her actions symbolize that educating oneself about HIV/AIDS can prevent infection and curb the spread of the disease.

Lu Chuan(L) and Qin Lan(R)express their will of doing something for the public welfare during an interview. (Source: china.org.cn)

    Knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention in China has decreased since 2007. According to a survey by CHAMP, 88.7 percent of the female respondents assumed there was no way they could be infected; 86.5 percent never actively learned about HIV/AIDS; and 50.7 percent said they never used condoms. Another report showed that 50 percent of the new infection cases were spread through unprotected sex.

    Managed by GBC China (Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria), CHAMP is a unique collaboration of media companies, private businesses, NGOs, government sectors and UN agencies. It mobilizes the communication power of mass media to fight HIV/AIDS in China. Through Umbrella, CHAMP hopes to arouse the awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention among the public.