Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt

This documentary accomplishes what most films sent out to do; move and transform audience members. What we have here is a remarkable movie which managed to change the way people viewed the AIDS crisis.

The success of the film's impact lies in its structural simplicity; we hear from the survivors of AIDS victims in ways which humanize their suffering.

Much has been written about the haunting musical score.

I had one slight problem with the film; its Amnerican-centric message. I wish the filmmakers would have paid more attention to the subject matter by giving us more of a world-view. This would have increased the film's credibility.

However, this is a quibble. What we have here is a motion picture which gives lasting testament to the personal courage exhibited by both victims and survivors.

Don't take this film lightly. It has to be one of the most heart-breaking films ever made. I saw this only once - 9 years ago! - and to this day, I still have Bobby McFerrin's depressing little theme in my head. Don't plan on doing much after this has ended. It's like SHOAH packed into less than 90 minutes. I never thought the presence of something so stupid as Alf (from the sitcom) could bring tears to my eyes. See this and find out why.

I'm shocked and saddened that I'm only the 9th person to vote for this film.

I was on staff at the Names Project during the making of this film and am honored to have been so. This film won the 1989 Academy Award for Feature Documentary. As has been stated by others, this is not an easy film to see, but I would encourage anyone who wants a greater understanding of the devastating impact of AIDS to view it. To have worked in the Names Project workshop and seen firsthand the care and love poured into each panel of the quilt was both a privilege and, ultimately, a devastating experience. Some of the people I worked with there are now gone - died of AIDS themselves - and I still think of them and miss them. See this film.

As for the comment about a world view, the film does mention some worldwide statistics. However, one of the main points of the film is that the United States government was abysmally slow in its response to the AIDS epidemic - so there is a reason for the focus on the U.S.

Every life has a story. Here are a few of the stories of people who died from AIDS, told by their survivors.

More than three quarter of a million Americans have died from AIDS since we began to notice it, about forty years ago. Worldwide, the figure seems to be a bit more than 40 million. Do a little math, and we as a nation look lucky. Human lives are not measured statistically, and people do not die by nations, but individually. Try to speak of the enormity of something, saying eighty million people have died from AIDS, or 6.9 million from COVID-19 or what have you and the horror and sadness gets lost in the the crowd. But one by one, with those they leave behind to assess the values of those lives. "My son died"; "My lover died"; "My friend Jim died": these are the words that make me weep. That's why this movie is so effective.

I wasn't born until the 90's and personally don't know anyone who died from AIDS, but Common Threads left an empty gap in my heart as if these lives lost were my own friends and family. This film was a beautiful tribute to the men, women and children lost to a horrible disease.

Bobby McFerrin wrote a song for this movie called "Common Threads" which plays on and off throughout the film. The song fits the somber mood of the film and sticks with you along with the names and faces that were among the many lost in the battle against AIDS.

The stories will touch you and will be burned into your memory. The film is also incredibly depressing. The beginning of the 80's when the AIDS epidemic began seems almost spooky. Here is this disease that causes such horrific suffering and death and doctors knew little about it or the cause.

AZT wasn't approved by the FDA until 1987. It's so sad to think that these people knew their days were numbered and that the gruesome fate of AIDS and horrible death was imminent. There was a huge stigma and many didn't get the patient centered care they deserved.

Contaminated factor 8 was another tragedy that ended up being a death sentence for people who thought they were getting just a simple blood transfusion or routine treatment for hemophilia. David Mandell Jr., a young boy with hemophilia, was one of the lives lost due to this grave mistake. It shattered my heart into a million pieces as his parents discussed making his last Christmas extra special for him and hearing him talk to ALF, a character from his favorite show. Here is this sweet innocent child frozen in time. He never had the chance to grow up all because a product he needed was contaminated with HIV.

Throughout the film you get to see volunteers, bereaved families and friends work on this incredible quilt. I loved seeing all of the contributions and later looked up the virtual quilt that lets you scan the full quilt and see everyone's names. I highly recommend paying a tribute and checking it out after you watch this film.