Bla, 16

"We could not choose how we were born. What have I done in my previous life?"

Bla is typical of many of the children that arrive at Baan Gerda. He lost both of his parents to AIDS and his extended family didn’t want to look after for him. Eventually, they left him at the AIDS hospice.  

Bla has the main role in the film and talks openly about the memories of his parents and the realisation that his relatives were frightened of him. After struggling at school, he leaves without any formal qualifications and takes a job as a grounds man in the village. We see how he adapts to his new role in life as he learns different skills and attempts to become more independent.

As time goes by, he has a growing desire to return to his family, despite the memories of what happened to him before. A trip back to his hometown and a meeting with his uncle allows him to confront his past and find some answers.

Oy, 13

"I thought my uncle and aunt had forgotten me"

Just before Oy's mother died, she made her sister and brother-in-law promise that they would look after Oy. After he started to get skin rashes the local school refused to teach him and they suffered discrimination from other people in the village. Eventually, they decided that they couldn't look after him and found a place for him at the AIDs hospice.

We follow Oy on an emotional journey back to his home where he is reunited with his relatives after 7 years.

Although he struggles to fully understand the events that have shaped his life, he is faced with a difficult decision when his uncle and aunt ask him to come back and live with them. ....