#BLM: New Animated Docu-Film Sheds Spotlight On Issues That Cause Six Times More Deaths Among Black Population Than All Homicide Combined

With all of this talk about police brutality against the American Black population, it’s easy to forget about other issues that have arisen as a result of systemic racism that are even more prevalent than all types of homicide put together. The common element is systemic-poverty, but the issues I’m specifically referring to are those having to do with death from health complications caused by diabetes and health disease.

According to the CDC, the rate of deaths against black men by diabetes/heart disease (I’m combining these which I’ll explain more in a minute) are SIX TIMES that of all homicide against black men. Other line items include kidney disease, cancer, stroke, etc. A similar study by the CDC for women concludes homicide isn’t even in the top ten in rate of deaths, but you know what is? Stroke, diabetes, cancer,health disease, kidney disease, etc.

What’s the cause of this? According to Rhonda Patrick, refined sugar has far-reaching effects of many of the body’s organs and systems. Whereas its link to diabetes is well known, what is likely underappreciated is that refined sugar may be linked to as many as 200,000 deaths worldwide each year from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer combined.

Enter this new animated documentary from co-directors Kabelo Maaka and Dr Tshepo Maaka’s called 3 Teaspoons of Sugar which focuses on three individuals who share their experiences living with diabetes. This educational animation had its independent World Premiere on World Diabetes Day on November 14th 2019 and will be screening online as part of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June.

Director Kabelo ‘Cabblow’ Maaka is an animator, illustrator, animation lecturer and founder and creative director of Cabblow Studios, which is a Johannesburg based animation studio. Unsatisfied with the quality of Animation education in South Africa, Kabelo started using YouTube to create art and animation tutorials. Together with her passion for animation and her skillset including digital character animation, character design, storyboarding, and scriptwriting, she is determined on making sure that her work become game changers by cultivating a unique voice that contributes meaningfully to the animation conversation in South African and internationally. Kabelo was a speaker at the Cape Town International Animation Festival in 2019.

Co Director Dr Tshepo P. Maaka has been a medical practitioner registered with the Health Professions Council since 1994, practicing mainly anaesthesiology. Until early 2018, Dr Maaka has been running an obstetrical anaesthetic practice at both the Sunninghill and Waterfall Hospitals in Gauteng. She partnered with her daughter Kabelo in forming Cabblow Studios to produce Medical Animation. Together, they are combining their skills in medicine and animation to carve out a unique niche in the South African animation market. They hope to produce content to educate on health in order to promote compliance & healthy living, and to produce better health outcomes.

3 Teaspoons of Sugar also screened at Africa Rising International Film Festival in 2019 and Lagos International Festival of Animation 2020 where they both made it to the semifinals.

Synopsis:

In a household where mealtime is a delightful feast full of bonding, fellowship & good eating, 3 members of this tight knit family are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus.