Levi's Red for Life and Levi's Original Music, together with Matchbox and Kugzulu Corporation, have created a frank, open documentary called 'Unzipped', featuring some of South Africa's top music personalities giving their honest opinions in a hard-hitting approach to highlighting the issues around HIV/AIDS.
Regardless of who we are and whether we like it or not, we are all affected in some way. The virus does not see rich or poor, black or white, male or female. It isn't interested in status or impressed by achievement. And it doesn't give breaks to those who are just growing up and experimenting with sex for the first time.
This is life as it is, not as we think it should be: people are having sex, they're not abstaining. And rather than get preachy about it, the brand believes it's better to investigate sexual practice and use the findings to educate young people about playing safely. It wants the viewer to think about their actions and, if they are going to have sex, to condomise.
Stars like Proverb, Arno Carstens, Godessa, Karen Zoid, Pam Andrews, MXO, GURU, Unathi, Fokofpolisiekar, Kabelo, Malaika and Mandoza answer questions about their first time, how their star status has affected their sex life, and what's on their minds when they're making sexual decisions. It's surprising, funny, controversial, insightful and embarrassing. But mostly it's relevant because of its honesty.
Honesty and openness are essential to combating the pandemic; to cutting through the clamour and confusion that surrounds the HIV/AIDS debate; to speaking out about sex, love, relationships and the welter of conflicting human emotions that the disease engenders.
Unzipped will be screened on SABC 1 on 28 November at 10pm and on 1 December at 11pm.
