So, I was born in 1982. Growing up, I knew about the AIDS epidemic but in an empirical way, like I knew about the Cold War but I didn't live in the Cold War. It was something that other people talked about. Later, as an adult, I became friends with and hung out with a lot of gay people, many of whom still had a very real fear of the disease. Again, I was aware of it and I knew that any unprotected sex could lead to STIs but it just seemed like prudence, not life or death.This documentary contains mostly archival footage of activists in Greenwich Village, NYC during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 80's. Specifically from 1983-1995. These are not a bunch of scientists or researchers. These are twenty-year-olds who have been told that they have no future because of a disease. More, they are actively shunned in society, turned away from hospitals, and told that this is the punishment for being gay. Like people were hoping that if they ignored it hard enough, AIDS would just go away. Meanwhile, millions of people died without any real hope of treatment.
The community of victims and supporters came together to fight for their right to exist. With the help of concerned citizens, like former chemist-turned-housewife Iris Long, who taught groups of willing volunteers how to basically break down the jargon surrounding clinical trials in order for them to effectively communicate with drug companies and the FDA and NIH. They took to the streets in thousands to protest the neglect of their government and to demand that their voices be heard.
In 2013, AIDS is no longer the death sentence in this country that it used to be. The fight is not over, worldwide it still kills millions a year, but there are treatments available now. Maybe one day we'll see free drugs for AIDS, but that's still a ways off.
I think it's important to see documentaries like this, even though they're difficult to watch and I'm glad the Academy see it the same way.
No comments:
Post a Comment