How to Survive a Plague (2012)

How to Survive a Plague: Directed by David France. With Ed Koch, David Barr, Bob Rafsky, Jim Eigo. The story of two coalitions — ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) — whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

“I really donu0026#39;t understand how this doco only scores a 7.3. Itu0026#39;s the most compelling piece of film I have seen in years, I was gripped from the beginning to the end. It is basically about the early fight for treatment research and recognition that HIV sufferers have a disease and were entitled to respect and humanity from the wider community as it was not a punishment from God for a so called u0026quot;lifestyle choiceu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is structured by piecing together a lot of archive film that is edited so brilliantly that it like watching a scripted film that tells a great story, a film with real stars and characters. The subject matter is based on HIV but what I took away from the film is how people with such a motivation did u0026quot;act upu0026quot; and used democracy to achieve an objective. It is compulsive viewing for any interested in any type of campaigning.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMy only criticism of the film is it did not fully explore the reason for the early antagonism toward people with the virus and why the medical establishment and governments at that time were slow to act. But in the end I seen a film about a story I did not know about, a story about successful democratic campaign that has saved millions of lives. I now think these early campaigners should have got Nobel recognition. The film is that powerful.”