A memorial to life in black & white

This October sees the birth of the Moments in Time 2005 calendar, the third production of this uniquely South African product that touches hearts while simultaneously raising funds to fight cancer. A unique addition to this already novel fundraising project, now in its third year, is the production of a Moments in Time theme song, dubbed Meaning in Life. Written for the project, it aims to give the calendar a voice that will help take calendar sales to new heights.

Project narrator, song composer and AstraZeneca South Africa Vice President: Research and Development, Prof Matt Haus says: "This lyrical addition to the Moments in Time message will bring a new dimension to the project. It will offer a deeper understanding of the concept of meaning in life to a greater audience, taking this message of hope and encouragement to many more people by way of a medium which, because of the universal appeal of music which transcends cultures, nations and individual differences, speaks a common language. The song integrates seamlessly with the visual and poetic images of the calendar, and also undeniably reflects and validates once again the timeless message of Viktor Frankl's philosophy and the irresistible spiritual expression of the fruits of the Human Spirit.

The calendar is a composition of specially selected cancer patients from all walks of South African life, with different cancers in various stages of the disease, who have opened themselves up to the lens of the camera. All the calendar models are united by their will to conquer cancer - they have all said "yes" to life in spite of their pain.

This year the new photographer on the project, Jeanne-Claire Bischoff, chose to use and adapt the technique employed by Czech photographer, Jan Saudek. His style is characterised by a colour technique which is added by hand in the post-production phase, over black & white images. "We all felt that the inclusion of colour in the 2005 calendar would be a dramatic progression from the previous two calendars," says Bischoff.

Each month in 2005 has been allocated to a patient. One patient was awarded the honour of gracing the front cover, another tasked with extending the fight against cancer into January 2005, while young Red Cross Children's Hospital patients light up December's page.

Each striking black and white picture, now with an added splash of colour, portrays a touching depiction of their personalities and varying life experiences. Although each photograph tells a story, a short but profound narrative accompanies each photograph, thereby enriching the page. Haus, speaking about the project, says it is a partnership between the public and private sector, using photography coupled with poetry, as the means to the end. "It is a wonderful example of people coming together with a pragmatic but innovative approach to raising money in the fight against cancer. The proceeds from the sale of the 2005 calendars (diaries and the CD single) will go into a cancer trust fund. The resources will be allocated to needy cancer patients.

"The costume and lighting were changed in every shot so as to best convey the subject's individual story. I aimed to create images that would be uplifting and inspiring and feel that my place is to create a platform for each person, where they each have the opportunity to express their story of pain and personal power. I aim to create a safe space in which the subject's essence can emerge and be captured," explains Bischoff.

On the composition of the song, Haus says that the words of Meaning in Life needed to be concordant with the poetry and the prologue, also penned by Haus, and for the music to be at idem with the ethos and spirit of the project's message. "They had to express the message of hope, meaning and joy in our lives."

Haus refers to the project theme song as another predictable miracle. "While relaxing at the prestigious Westin Hotel in Shanghai where I currently live, well known Hollywood singer Bill Wesley came into the room and began to play the piano and sing. As he began to sing, his voice, velvet and full of power and meaning, I knew I had found the artist to record our song. There was no doubt in my mind and the rest is history."

As has been the case every year since the project's inception, prior to the initiation of the project, AstraZeneca secured the support of South Africa's leading oncologists, without whose buy-in, the project would not have been a success. Patients willing to be involved in the project were put forward by their respective oncologists for possible inclusion on the calendar. The calendar's creative team completed the selection of candidates and ensured the final count is as representative as possible in terms of age, race, sex, location and cancer profile.

AstraZeneca is involved in several corporate social investment projects, all of which bring the public and private sector together for a greater good and this project was no exception.

The Moments in Time 2005 calendar will be sold for R160 for the A2 wall calendar, R100 for the A3 wall calendar and R60 for the CD desk calendar. A slimline diary has also been produced and available at a cost of R90 each. All the Moments in Time products, including the Meaning in Life single, will be on sale from October and can be ordered via www.momentsintime.co.za or by calling 0861 66 66 00.