Prisoner star鈥檚 HIV campaign
Former Prisoner star Glenda Linscott (pictured), who played inmate Rita Connors in the show鈥檚 final year, has utilised the program鈥檚 loyal fan base to make a short film dealing with the issue of women unknowingly infected with HIV by their partners.
The soon-to-be-finished film, A Fairytale Life, was born of Linscott鈥檚 involvement with the Positive Women organisation.
鈥淲henever Prisoner fans get together, they raise money for the charity Positive Women, which helps women and families living with HIV,鈥� Linscott told the Star Observer.
Several years ago, Prisoner co-star and Positive Women patron Anne Phelan asked her to perform the monologue Joy鈥檚 Story, taken from the real-life story of HIV-positive woman Sandy Porter, as part of a Positive Women event at Melbourne鈥檚 Malthouse Theatre.
鈥淭he audience was moved to tears, and so galvanised to want to do something. I thought to myself, I鈥檝e never been involved in anything as powerful as this.
鈥淚 think it resonates because [Sandy鈥檚] just such a great girl 鈥� a Gippsland mum with two kids whose partner, for whatever reason, didn鈥檛 feel that he could be truthful about his sexuality.
鈥淭he question that鈥檚 asked is 鈥榃hy?鈥� What鈥檚 holding our beloved fathers and brothers and husbands back, with such devastating consequences?鈥�
Her passion ignited by the response to the monologue, Linscott approached filmmaker Rohan Scott and suggested they work together in adapting it as a short film.
With a rough cut of the film now in the can, the pair have screened their work-in-progress at several Prisoner events, and even received Sandy鈥檚 blessing.
鈥淏ecause it is such a fantastic piece of film, it鈥檚 transformed from simply being a film we could offer at places like Family Planning. We鈥檙e now going to enter it in film festivals in seven places around the world where HIV is on the increase.鈥�
As their ambition has grown, so have associated costs. Linscott is now on a quest to raise more than $10,000 鈥� via the not-for-profit HIV organisation Audacious Dreaming 鈥� to get the film finished to a professional standard and seen by as wide an audience as possible.
鈥淭he Prisoner fans are getting behind it 鈥� they鈥檝e donated about $4000 dollars already to help it get seen. They seem excited and empowered by it, saying, 鈥榊ou know what? This isn鈥檛 just about being fanatical about a TV show. We can mobilise and be campaigners for a great cause here鈥�. 鈥�
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