3 Needles

In the heart of South Africa, a primal ritual marks the threshold from boyhood to manhood as a group of young men embark on a transformative journey, their innocence and vulnerability laid bare as they face the unforgiving realities of adulthood.

Meanwhile, in rural China, Jin Ping's life is forever changed when she's caught by Chinese military personnel with crates of black market blood in her van. The authorities destroy the blood, leaving her vulnerable to their brutal assault. As she tries to rebuild her shattered existence, Jin Ping convinces a village to donate blood for a meager $5 each, but her unhygienic equipment has devastating consequences: most of the villagers, including Tong Sam's family, contract HIV and succumb to AIDS. The military men led by Xuan arrive in the village, ostensibly to help combat the disease, but they instead aid Tong Sam in cultivating rice, which he then shares with his remaining neighbors. When government officials come to test for AIDS, the $10 fee is deemed too steep by one villager, who accuses it of being a scam - a notion fueled by the memory of Jin Ping's $5-per-donor scheme.

In Canada, porn star Denys begins to suspect he may be HIV-positive and resorts to deception, submitting his ailing father's blood samples instead of his own. His father eventually passes away, leaving Denys feeling guilty and ashamed. His mother Olive discovers her son's profession and is horrified, prompting him to quit the industry. However, when she learns that Denys is indeed HIV-positive at a self-help group meeting, she takes matters into her own hands by deliberately infecting herself with his blood - an act motivated by a desire for financial security after collecting a substantial insurance payout. Olive uses this windfall to improve their lives and they venture out for dinner, unaware that Maria, a former colleague of Denys', is waiting on them. Maria reveals that several other porn actors have also been infected with HIV due to Denys' actions - a grim reality she underscores by saying, "You killed me for $800."

In the midst of South Africa's tumultuous landscape, a trio of nuns - Clara (character), Mary, and Hilde - arrive at a sprawling plantation, their mission one of aid and assistance. Yet, it is Clara who stands out for her unwavering determination, driven by a deep sense of compassion to care for the vulnerable family of a young rape victim, whose grandmother has passed on and whose older brother shoulders the weighty responsibility of their well-being. As she delves deeper into the family's plight, Clara finds herself at odds with the plantation's enigmatic owner, Hallyday, who makes increasingly inappropriate advances towards her. In a moment of desperation, she strikes a Faustian bargain with him, trading her modesty for his help in securing the family's future. But as the truth gradually unravels, revealing the shocking reality that the older brother is recklessly reusing the plantation's medical supplies, spreading disease and despair throughout the community, Clara is left grappling with the devastating consequences of her actions.

In the aftermath of this harrowing experience, a group of marauding men breaches the sanctity of the nuns' quarters, their brutal violation leaving the trio forever scarred. The nuns subsequently depart the plantation, but not before Clara's spirit remains, her habit discarded in a poignant declaration of independence. This jarring departure sets the stage for the film's epilogue, in which Hilde (character) - revealed to be a beacon of sainthood - serves as narrator, her voice a solemn testament to the collective prayers of those whose stories have unfolded on screen. As she ponders the mysteries of human nature, Hilde posits that humanity's failure to unite against its common enemy, AIDS, lies at the feet of God - or, at the very least, our collective understanding of Him.