Bed Of Fire

“Bed of Fire” is a new movie by independent producer/director Tracy L.F. Worley that debuted and was well-received at the DMV International Film Festival at the Goethe Institut, Washington DC this June.

The 55-minute narrative is described as “a long overdue, hard look at the dangerous consequences of miscellaneous sexual encounters, and placing trust in the wrong people.” The film focuses on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, an issue all too prevalent in the African-American community. The film’s primary goal is to “explore the nonchalance of a sexual society, and its consequences – deception, disease, betrayal, and sometimes death – across sexual orientation.”

African-Americans are 12.8 % of the U.S. population; they also represent 45 % of all people infected each year with HIV. As a sub-section, African-American women represent 66 % of all new HIV cases each year among women; 46 % of gay and bisexual African-American men have contracted HIV, compared to 21 % of Caucasian counterparts. In addition, African-American teenagers make up only 15 % of the U.S. teen population, but they account for 68 % of all new AIDS cases among teens.

The film’s producer and director, Tracey Worley, was an HIV/AIDS counselor in the early ‘90’s, and recalls that at the time, the idea of HIV prevention was a big deal. “Everyone was giving out condoms,” said Worley. “We thought we could fight it, but when you look at it 15 years later, it’s the same or worse. We’ve become immune to the notion of HIV being out there.”

According to a new report presented at the International AIDS Conference by the Center for Disease Control, 2.1 % of heterosexuals living in poor, urban cities in the United States are infected with HIV.

The United Nations considers an overall HIV prevalence of more than 1 % a “generalized epidemic.”

In an interview with reporters, Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s Division on HIV/AIDS Prevention, stated, “There is nothing biological that has caused African-Americans to have such a disproportionate rate of HIV infection. It’s the social, it’s the economic, it’s the epidemiological environment in which people live.”

Worley, who received her bachelor’s from Syracuse University and a master’s in fine arts and film from Howard University, felt that the subject matter was one that people tend to push aside. “We look at Magic [Johnson] and say ‘oh he’s fine.’ But he has the financial resources to be fine. Medication isn’t as expensive as it used to be, but there’s a segment of the community that doesn’t have the resources to pay for the medicine, so it was important for me to address it the way that I did.”

In a statement released by the CDC, Kevin Fenton, M.D., Ph.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention said, “this study reveals a powerful link between poverty and HIV risk, and a widespread HIV epidemic in America’s inner cities. In this country, HIV clearly strikes the economically disadvantaged in a devastating way.”

With a budget of $15,000 and a crew of four people, “Bed of Fire” began production in January 2009, wrapping this past October with the final edit being completed in December. The film was shot in 11 days by Cassandra L. Riddick, with actors and crew who were primarily from Maryland and the District of Columbia; they include Kimberly Roane, Joel Gregory, Shannon Moxley Jones, and Ransom Rellic. Tika Junéja wrote the screenplay, and it was co-directed by Junéja and Derwin Whitehead. Tracy L.F. Worley is also the executive producer.

“’Bed of Fire’ brings a different twist to the story of a love triangle,” says Worley. “There’s a group that’s not thoughtful about their actions and what they’re doing and that’s who we’re trying to address in this movie.”

“The characters in the movie have resources to do something, like take care of their physical health, but they don’t,” Worley states..”They act like they don’t care or that it can’t touch them. That’s who we’re targeting in this film.”

“Bed of Fire” has been entered in various upcoming film festivals and Worley hopes that there is a market for her film in the educational and medical fields. The soundtrack CD, “Bed of Fire”, will be released on Deception Entertainment Records in 2010, and will feature music by the Dreamcatchers, Ransom Rellic, and Kimberly Roane.

For more information go to www.bed-of-fire-the-movie.com.