Described as "controversial" by some, this film is actually a one-sided, totally skewed and manipulative documentary, which will mesmerize the uninformed or the fanatics of holistic medicine.
While I certainly agree that modern medicine has progressed miraculously these past 60 or so years, it is far from a perfect exact science, especially when it comes to something like AIDS. But medicine and the pharmaceutical industry has worked hard against AIDS in the past 21/22 years. And to propagate outright lies through film that HIV has nothing to do with AIDS is plainly irresponsible.
By highlighting a fabulously persuasive seemingly mainstream American heterosexual HIV positive mother, with a wonderful healthy family - including 2 children she breast fed, the film scores a coup, coming off convincingly as the bearer of "God's truth" to the "silent majority."
By adding in, gay (but mostly very straight acting)... socially acceptable" gay men, they address what they can't keep away from the "silent majority" - a lot of white males DO have the disease, and plainly introduce it to the "infected mainstream" population in the "civilized world".
To us who have survived this disease, the documentary says nothing new. It shows us the same old faces, many of whom became famous by writing books of the "How I F***** My Brains Out but I'm Still Here!" sort.
Incredibly, the film makes no mention of Southern Africa. It does feature an African victim, but not from one of the really devastated countries, which is where the bulk of AIDS victims are, and always have been. The movie lives in this time warp when the disease was a white middle/upper class disease, introduced by gays. How can Africa be ignored? It's the undisputed geographical origin of AIDS.
Also, the film makes great use of these "acceptable" gay men living with HIV/AIDS for 20 or 25 years now. Hello, what's NEW ABOUT THAT! Many survive without medication, ... as if this were ground breaking news. How ignorant do the film makers the public is?
If you live in a major metropolis, and have contact with the gay community, you'll see they are no rarity, though of course not the norm. But all the "victims" I know, with maybe 2 or 3 exceptions, who got through the initial epidemic of the 80s alive, are mostly still alive, and ALL share the HIV link.
Target viewers of this documentary probably know very little about gays, the disease, or Africa. Or else they'd stay away after reading the synopsis. Exceptions may be people like me, who only saw this since I had extra time at a Film Festival setting, a friend persuaded me, and I said why not? Why exclude something based upon my arrogance of knowing more than most others about HIV/AIDS.
The documentary is indeed the one-sided farce I expected. First, there's the "compassionate" (and very exceptional case) of people who think HIV does not cause AIDS. Hell, there's people breathing air in the same room as AIDS patients is deadly! The film includes a German-American scientist, shown as a "sad victim of his outspokenness" to cover this base. He "lost his career" for being too vocal.
Then, the film really focuses on those chose are VILLAINS. And yes, what a "good group" of villains are shown: doctors who affirm that HIV does cause AIDS or at least is a factor in AIDS. They're ALL unsavory, arrogant, snotty snobs - chosen obviously to be hateful, which they play convincingly - better than some actors. The only reason for their inclusion is obviously to SEAL the film's one-sided, UNPROVEN agenda to the "public" - many in international film festivals where American "scientific" documentaries impress the hell out of people. How misleading and manipulative!
Ij contrast with the "villains", the people chosen to advocate the film's point of view on screen are all so "acceptable" - no minorities, etc - it's not a true cross-section at all. Much less of the US West Coast! The mothers are all the very picture of "Suzie Sorority from the Silent Minority" with additional angelical Virgin Mary attributes. How can these decent innocent girls be lying? What crap.
I only rate this film a four for the remarkable achievement of its "release" as a serious "documentary" at film festivals world wide, and even getting away with some good reviews! But as much as I hate this word, it's heresy (the film's message). Yes, we all OBVIOUSLY have the right to our own opinion. But to disseminate lies and distorted facts like this? It should be outlawed.
If films like this are allowed, what's next? "Enslaving Negroes was not caused by greedy white people- they were brought to America after all", or "How Nazis helped us finally rid Europe of Jews"! This film fans the same type of false, racially based lying revisionism of recent history.
While I certainly agree that modern medicine has progressed miraculously these past 60 or so years, it is far from a perfect exact science, especially when it comes to something like AIDS. But medicine and the pharmaceutical industry has worked hard against AIDS in the past 21/22 years. And to propagate outright lies through film that HIV has nothing to do with AIDS is plainly irresponsible.
By highlighting a fabulously persuasive seemingly mainstream American heterosexual HIV positive mother, with a wonderful healthy family - including 2 children she breast fed, the film scores a coup, coming off convincingly as the bearer of "God's truth" to the "silent majority."
By adding in, gay (but mostly very straight acting)... socially acceptable" gay men, they address what they can't keep away from the "silent majority" - a lot of white males DO have the disease, and plainly introduce it to the "infected mainstream" population in the "civilized world".
To us who have survived this disease, the documentary says nothing new. It shows us the same old faces, many of whom became famous by writing books of the "How I F***** My Brains Out but I'm Still Here!" sort.
Incredibly, the film makes no mention of Southern Africa. It does feature an African victim, but not from one of the really devastated countries, which is where the bulk of AIDS victims are, and always have been. The movie lives in this time warp when the disease was a white middle/upper class disease, introduced by gays. How can Africa be ignored? It's the undisputed geographical origin of AIDS.
Also, the film makes great use of these "acceptable" gay men living with HIV/AIDS for 20 or 25 years now. Hello, what's NEW ABOUT THAT! Many survive without medication, ... as if this were ground breaking news. How ignorant do the film makers the public is?
If you live in a major metropolis, and have contact with the gay community, you'll see they are no rarity, though of course not the norm. But all the "victims" I know, with maybe 2 or 3 exceptions, who got through the initial epidemic of the 80s alive, are mostly still alive, and ALL share the HIV link.
Target viewers of this documentary probably know very little about gays, the disease, or Africa. Or else they'd stay away after reading the synopsis. Exceptions may be people like me, who only saw this since I had extra time at a Film Festival setting, a friend persuaded me, and I said why not? Why exclude something based upon my arrogance of knowing more than most others about HIV/AIDS.
The documentary is indeed the one-sided farce I expected. First, there's the "compassionate" (and very exceptional case) of people who think HIV does not cause AIDS. Hell, there's people breathing air in the same room as AIDS patients is deadly! The film includes a German-American scientist, shown as a "sad victim of his outspokenness" to cover this base. He "lost his career" for being too vocal.
Then, the film really focuses on those chose are VILLAINS. And yes, what a "good group" of villains are shown: doctors who affirm that HIV does cause AIDS or at least is a factor in AIDS. They're ALL unsavory, arrogant, snotty snobs - chosen obviously to be hateful, which they play convincingly - better than some actors. The only reason for their inclusion is obviously to SEAL the film's one-sided, UNPROVEN agenda to the "public" - many in international film festivals where American "scientific" documentaries impress the hell out of people. How misleading and manipulative!
Ij contrast with the "villains", the people chosen to advocate the film's point of view on screen are all so "acceptable" - no minorities, etc - it's not a true cross-section at all. Much less of the US West Coast! The mothers are all the very picture of "Suzie Sorority from the Silent Minority" with additional angelical Virgin Mary attributes. How can these decent innocent girls be lying? What crap.
I only rate this film a four for the remarkable achievement of its "release" as a serious "documentary" at film festivals world wide, and even getting away with some good reviews! But as much as I hate this word, it's heresy (the film's message). Yes, we all OBVIOUSLY have the right to our own opinion. But to disseminate lies and distorted facts like this? It should be outlawed.
If films like this are allowed, what's next? "Enslaving Negroes was not caused by greedy white people- they were brought to America after all", or "How Nazis helped us finally rid Europe of Jews"! This film fans the same type of false, racially based lying revisionism of recent history.