How To Survive a Plague Faced with their own mortality, an improbable group of mostly HIV+ young men and women took on Washington and the medical establishment at the dawn of the AIDS crisis. How to Survive a Plague is the story of two coalitions—ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group)—whose activism and innovation helped bring attention to an epidemic much of America was happy to ignore. Filmmaker David France brings much-deserved attention to these brave activists who, despite having no scientific training, infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With access to never-before-seen archival footage, he drops us into the middle of the controversial actions, heated meetings, heartbreaking failures and uplifting breakthroughs that defined these men and women.
“Tampa” In this short film from director Kyle Henry, twenty-something Louis stops into the mall to grab lunch in the food court—and a quickie in the public restroom. He scouts for possible partners but lets imagination get the better of him: the bathroom’s clientele morph into fictional characters, historical figures and even world leaders. Louis is overwhelmed: Will his sexual savior ever materialize? FYI: “Tampa” is part of Fourplay, a compilation of four sexual adventurous shorts co-produced by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe. (Each is named after the town it takes place in.) See the NSFW trailer here.
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Interesting
The gay content seems disconnected from our times versus what is being described as looking at America in decline for the rest of the movies in screening.
Lefty
@Interesting: Or the Sundance programmers think representations of gay themes are intrinsically tied up with the decline of (American) society?
That’s an interesting thing: maybe the direction of gay rights/representation runs counter to most people’s perception of the direction of society as a whole? We’re making progress bit by bit, while society is declining bit by bit – and that’s why some people see a correlation between the two? I was joking about Sundance buying into this and clearly only idiots/bigots would see such a correlation – but it is an interesting difference. Maybe straight society is burning out and we’re the optimists/catalysts of the bright future/ 😀
Interesting
@Lefty: No, I think its a representation of the limited amount (a) movies made about gays (b) the fact that the people making them have a limited range of subject matter they want to cover (that’s why I was stunned to see low income gays in a movie like Brokeback Mountain- I mean in gayville low income gays don’t exist), (c) The straights aren’t going to cover if we don’t and (d) gay rights is in vogue so “edgy” and “hip” remains including something gay even if its out of step.
The reality of course is that we are just as burnt out as the rest of society. Ever try having a discussion about non-gay issues with a bunch of gays? Ask them about economic issues? If anything, they are worst than the heterosexual majority.
Its just a disappointment that no one has made grade movies about a wide range of gay experiences. Its like when i see movies about African-Americans, and they are all in an urban setting. Its like black people don’t live anywhere else.