UNESCO IITE and UNAIDS launch interactive TV series for Kyrgyz youth about school, living with HIV and fighting for justice

School Elections, a new television series produced by the Media Kitchen studio with support from UNESCO IITE and UNAIDS, can be viewed online and on Kyrgyz national television starting on 6 November 2020. This show is the first interactive series in the Kyrgyz language about today’s school, living with HIV, peer rivalry, and the fight for justice. Featuring an unexpected competition between two candidates for school president, six short episodes tell the story of bullying, true friendship and human dignity and present school elections as a symbol of modern society in miniature.

Story
The 17-year-old Ayana Erkebaeva is an 11th grade student who believes in social activism and fighting for justice. Ayana lives with HIV but cannot tell anyone about it. Unfortunately, getting into trouble is her middle name. An unfortunate incident forces Ayana to move to a new school, where she is faced with the harsh reality of bullying from day one. Altynbek, a silver spoon boy who is the school’s current president, sets his own rules and enforces them together with his “gang,” keeping everyone on their toes. But next school elections are upcoming, in which a mysterious new candidate will challenge Altynbek’s authority for the first time ever…

The first episode of the series was aired at 7pm on November 6 on Ethnomedia, Kyrgyzstan’s leading online movie theater featuring film industry novelties in the Kyrgyz language. The first episode has already generated over 280,000 views and thousands of positive comments.