Documentary nurses malaria through awareness

Every year, malaria affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Filmmaker and humanitarian Bobby Bailey—whose new documentary, “When the Night Comes,” brings to the screen the fear and devastation affecting the people of a small, malaria-ridden village in northern Uganda—called the pandemic “the deadliest plague that humanity has ever known.” Most importantly, though, Bailey’s film claims very convincingly that, if everyone did their parts, they could free the earth of malaria by the year 2015.

“When the Night Comes” exposes a shocking chasm between the “developed” and the “developing” worlds. Apparently, both are quite ignorant of the other’s circumstances. Economically advanced nations view sub-Saharan Africa’s malaria crisis as unfortunate but unfixable, while many Ugandans seem to think that malaria is still a major problem in the United States. Bailey’s film proves both sides false.

Bailey himself, along with his two friends Mike Hobert and Jodie Smith, are among a very small group of “Westerners” who truly understand what malaria is and how it affects the communities most susceptible to it. But most important of all, they realize the responsibility they have to educate the rest of us.

Traveling through Uganda for three years—accompanied always, of course, by their movie camera—Bailey, Hobert, and Smith met thousands of mothers, children, and health workers, all affected by the bug-borne plague. They learned that the Anopheles mosquito feeds almost exclusively at night—hence the film’s title.

If all those vulnerable to the disease had a bed net to cover them while sleeping, the number of malaria infections would plummet. A campaign called Nothing But Nets has been working with Bailey and his crew for quite some time, and those who log on to their website, nothingbutnets.net, can volunteer to send a bed net to Africa—and potentially save a life.

The 65 minutes of “When the Night Comes” are tragic at certain moments, but humorous and inspiring at others. It’s obvious that everyone involved in the project has a genuine motivation to eradicate malaria from the planet. Bailey’s film is perfect for the collegiate viewer, with a grassroots, youthful, and edgy style. The documentary has been shown twice at Columbia, and will be screened again at NYU’s Institute of Film on April 19 at 6 p.m. The filmmakers—who are more than thrilled to share their work with all those committed to their cause—are even giving out free copies of the DVD to anyone interested, through their website.

“When the Night Comes” is particularly timely. Cities all across the country are hosting “sleep-outs” on April 24—the eve of World Malaria Day—to show world leaders just how many tent-pitchers are committed to ending malaria deaths in Africa. The United Nations has proposed a feasible five-year plan to rid the earth of malaria, though its efforts may dwindle without sufficient support from the public.

If any film can inspire individuals to take action, it’s this one. Even amid its moments of juvenility, “When the Night Comes” makes an impact on its viewers, all of whom will take away a yearning to make a difference in the lives of others.