The HIV epidemic has become one of the defining issues of African people, and while graduate student Brian Ekdale captures this struggle in his documentary “10 Days in Malawi,” he contends there is more to Africa than meets the eyes of American people.

“I couldn’t be told what the problem was or read it somewhere,” Ekdale said. “I had to go there and discover what the story was.”

Ekdale took his camera along when he, his mother and two friends traveled to Africa as part of a church group taking part in an AIDS camp for HIV-positive patients in the country of Malawi. Two years later, Ekdale used the footage as his documentary thesis, under the guidance of assistant communication professor Laura Vazquez.

“It’s a very powerful film,” Vazquez said. “It is told from the view of the Americans, and you really feel like you are along with them in the camps.”

Following Vazquez’s advice, Ekdale submitted the piece to various film festivals. The film was accepted as a finalist at the Purple Violet Film Festival at Kean University, which will take place Friday through Sunday. The winner of each category at the film festival will receive $1,000.

“I’m delighted he made it in there,” Vazquez said. “$1,000 is a huge award for any film festival.”

Although a $1,000 prize would certainly help offset some of the costs of production of the film, Ekdale said his main goal was to tell the story of the African people in the film.

“You really don’t know it until you see it,” Ekdale said. “When you go there, it’s not just an AIDS issue. It’s a poverty issue. It’s a human issue. But it’s really a beautiful country.”

Making a documentary involves a difficult process.

“[Making a first-person documentary] is tricky because you have to develop your own perspective as the on-screen personality,” said Jeffrey Chown, communication graduate studies professor. “[The film] is very well-shot, crisp and well-directed, and not overly flamboyant. We need a way to think about the spectrum of AIDS, and Brian does that very well here.”

According to Ekdale, personal connection to subject material is important for aspiring filmmakers.

“If you are going to take on this big of project,” Ekdale said. “You’re going to have to find something that you either love or truly believe in.”