A screening of the powerful film ‘Mary and Martha’ is scheduled for Saturday, November 23 at Loop in Melbourne’s CBD. This event is being organised by volunteers from local, but influential, not-for-profit anti-poverty organisation RESULTS International.

The international RESULTS network, according to the New York Times is “one of the best-kept secrets in development”, and has played a significant role since the 1980s “in helping to direct billions of dollars of government funding toward child survival, microfinance, education and health”.

Starring Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn, the movie follows two mothers whose lives are unexpectedly affected by malaria, and their resulting fight to influence public spending on malaria prevention. The film was written by Richard Curtis (Love, Actually) and directed by Australian Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence).

The movie brings attention to the threat that the disease still poses to millions of people in developing countries, where 600,000 deaths still occur annually despite the disease being both preventable and treatable.

RESULTS is currently working to increase Australia’s contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. In 2009 RESULTS provided crucial support for the Debt2Health swap that allowed $75million of Indonesian debt to be cancelled by the Australian government, in return for Indonesian spending on life-saving health programs through the Global Fund.

Entry to the film is free but bookings are essential at www.trybooking.com/DSTB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ael7CD7n1oE