How to Survive a Plague

"How to Survive a Plague" is a gripping documentary that tracks down the chronological history of HIV and AIDS, from its onset in the early 80's to today. During the 80's, it was actually a plague killing millions of people. The documentary focuses on two advocacy groups ACT and TAG, and their tireless work for decades to persuade U.S. governments to allocate more funds for AIDS research and medicine. Their efforts helped turn AIDS from a fatal disease to a manageable condition. This documentary might be hard to survive through; not because of any inadequacy but because of the frightful scenes showing how many young people with bright futures died from AIDS. Director David France proficiently exhibits the work of ACT and later TAG from its very beginnings, and then finalizes it showing several ACT & TAG members today in how they were able to survive AIDS. These brave & honorable men practically saved their own lives with their advocacy efforts, and that is one ACT that if hard to follow. OK, now TAG, you are it. Because it is your turn to get educated with France's love letter to ACT & TAG with a "How to Survive a Plague" viewing. **** Good

By using (mostly) never before seen archival footage, David France's unflinching documentary "How to Survive a Plague" DOCUMENTS the early epidemic of the AIDS virus in the United States, during a time when it was seen as a death sentence.

With a mixture of video from protests, support rallies and home movies, France portrays actual struggling AIDS victims/activists as their friends and family members begin to go blind and die around them, and the US government does little in way of assistance. France also does a great job of not only showcasing the overwhelming amount of discrimination during the 80's and 90's, which altogether ostracized anybody with AIDS or people that had any linkage to the gay communities, but succeeds in his attempts to dissect the human condition, by showing how far a determined group of people are willing to go for change.

The rest of the footage, which shows government officials such as former Senator Jesse Helms, former President Ronald Regan and former President George Bush Sr. is maybe the most shocking aspect of this film; as they come off as negligent and at times so blatantly prejudiced, that it's disturbing to think how everything depicted here took place only between 20 and 30 years ago.

Beginning in New York with the denial of the AIDS epidemic by former New York Mayor Ed Kotch, to the introduction of the highly toxic drug AZT (the most expensive drug on the market at the time, and the only one used to prolong the life of AIDS patients) to the Roman Catholic Church condemning the use of condoms, and ending with the evolution of ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) a group of activists (most of whom had the AIDS virus themselves) who revolutionized the way AIDS was treated, turning it into a manageable condition; the importance of this film lies in its documentation of a disenfranchised people during a time in American history that isn't broached in the classroom. But equally as interesting as the subject matter, is how creatively this documentary is put together. This archival footage format is truly an ingenious way to tell a narrative, really working on an almost purely visceral level to capture the times and atmosphere of a real life American revolution, in a way not many documentaries have the ability to do.

Final Thought: "How to Survive A Plague" is not only an informative, fascinating, and sure to be award winning film, but also one of the most powerful documentaries of 2012. There's not much more I can say about this documentary, other than that actually sitting down and witnessing what this film has to say, for yourself will undoubtedly create a deeper impact and elicit more of an emotional response than any mere words can say.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

This film is recommended.

David France's documentary, How To Survive A Plague, chronicles the devastating effect of AIDS upon the gay community from the mid eighties to present day. Through archival footage and direct interviews with activists and patients who fought against government bureaucracy, homophobia, and ignorance, the film also shows the history and political beginnings of gay, lesbian, and trans-genders who formed a group called ACT UP. This organization courageously battled the FDA, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, and hate- mongers, like Jesse Helms and his ilk, to try to stop this disease from reaching epidemic proportions with protest marches, sit-ins, and angry demonstrations to make the world aware of the severity of the problem.

The film covers nearly two decades of public outcry and disdain for the lack of tolerance and expediency in preventing this scourge. At times, the documentary shows some of the protests against various institutions like the Roman Catholic Church, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and Congress in sketchy terms with some details lacking. But in general, the film succeeds in painting a clear picture of these average citizens forced to become activists due to a lack of insight and compassion from those in power, those elected officials who chose to look the other way until the disease started to target the general public.

How To Survive A Plague is an angry film, as well it should be. It profiles these heroic people whom continually found strength in each other while losing friends and loved ones in the process. This historic film helps to set the record straight as it shows their tragic tales without any bias or grandstanding. How To Survive A Plague becomes a life-affirming testament for those that lived and those that survived in the struggle against adversity and bigotry while keeping its focus on the dignity of a human life and a sense of equality and justice for all. GRADE: B

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NOTE: Although a cure has been found to delay the fatality of this disease, the cost factor remains exorbitantly high for most average middle-class people. And so the fight continues...

How to Survive a Plague is definitely one of the year's most awe-inspiring, riveting, go-into- action documentaries. Through a mightily informative combination of recent interviews and archival footage the film exhibits a noteworthy fight against both ignorance and indifference towards such a deadly epidemic as the one caused by the HIV virus. This is also a serious, heartfelt, touching depiction of a movement that was ready to change something, even if it meant sacrificing a few soldiers along the way. And yes, the word 'soldiers' is perfectly suitable when it comes to all those young people who devoted their whole lives to a global, far-reaching cause.

Year by year, How to Survive a Plague presents a through and insightful look at the actions that propelled the LGBT activists in some of their most tragic days. Undeniably, the story behind such coalitions as Act Up and TAG are exhilarating ones. Even though the then-deadly virus already infected many of those young people, they still didn't lose faith in the cause and decided to stand up against the government and its reluctance to help those in need. Lead by a few charismatic and devoted individuals Act Up changed to course of history and it's definitely not an exaggeration. By making the whole world aware of the seriousness of this ferocious AIDS plague the activists made the world a place friendly for all inhabitants of this planet, no matter their sexual orientation or skin color.

How to Survive a Plague is a clever, intriguing and fortifying documentary. Every scene of the film matters, every voice raised is a significant one. Decidedly so, the interviews shine a new light on the past events presented in the archival footage, and their coming together combines for a valuable film experience.

Seeing this title I was expecting something of an apocalyptic, end-of- the-world zombie type film. In fact, this documentary was far truer, exploring a disease which has cost many lives. One might say I have an interest in LGBT causes and maybe this is why I decided to see this documentary, but AIDS is not exclusive to any community.

This documentary starts in the early 80's in New York where young men and women are dying of AIDS. There is no treatment and they are even refused in the hospitals. Each with their individual pain couldn't do much so they organized and created "ACT UP" whose main focus was to be an activist group, which through civil disobedience would bring attention, awareness, and most importantly a cure to AIDS. The documentary retraces some of their fights and quarrels mostly through archives but also with some more recent interviews. It covers some of the darkest hours before the discovery of the lucky combination that would prolong the lives of many, but would come too late to save those of many more.

I think the topic is one of the most important there is. It feels so distant but I can actually remember hearing about a treatment to AIDS back then. It meant very little to me at the time. I can't say that I really loved the way the documentary was going about things but I liked the substance very much. It is very scary to think back and imagine those people taking whatever medication that was on trial simply because at that point it couldn't have done more harm.

While I think activism is double-edged blade and can sometimes backfire, it seems that this very activism has saved many lives and the alerted politicians who at first refused to talk about how many lives AIDS had taken. There are some very emotional personal stories here, and if my rating was based solely on the people in this documentary, I'd give them all a 10 for their courage and perseverance through this tremendous pain.

I liked: The topic. Historically important.

I disliked: The shaky archive footage, the constant shouting and confrontations. It had only one sequence to explain the actual biological/chemical aspects, which I felt were important and deserved more screen time.

74/100 A little over 20 years ago, there were presidents who would go on television and say that AIDS has behavioral causes that should be looked at. This documentary could definitely teach them a thing or two.