Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar

Films about mass tragedy can be hard to make without mawkishness; but 'Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves', a Swedish series about the A.I.D.S. epidemic of the 1980s, is simply superb. It presents a nuanced picture of the lives of the Stockholm gay community, in some senses hedonistic, in other senses, just a group of young men as desirous of such conservative notions as family as anyone else. And it presents a highly perceptive picture of many things: attitudes to gayness in general (at a time of much lower general tolerance than today), the simple wretchedness of death, the strange awfulness of certain types of religious belief, but above all else, the utter (and understandable) unpreparedness of the community for their imminent mass extermination. I guess that none of us are ever ready to die, but the series makes us understand why someone might kill themselves on diagnosis rather than live on for a while amid an ever dwindling number of their fellow doomed. The script is smart as well, initially driven by Rasmus, but the lead on the story soon passes over to Benjamin, his boyfriend. But the story's heart is really provided by Simon Berger's Paul, the focal point of the group, whose droll mother-queenery at first seems a cruel response to the illness of his friends, but which eventually turns into the closest thing possible to defiance (and even then it isn't much) in the face of a truly unbearable end. For those of us who live in the west, the primary threat of the disease has thankfully passed; but this is the best, most sympathetic and also most moving, telling of that story I have seen.

If there's one thing the Swedes are good at, it's making films that really get to you. This mini-series is one such example. The early days of AIDS in Stockholm are the subject, shown through a group of young gay men who lose their lives one by one. Their social stigmatisation by the church and relatives is also thematised; the cruelty of rejection towards people who are simply looking for support and love becomes a martyrdom that some can only escape by committing suicide. So much for the fiction and when I look back on my post-adolescence, which roughly coincides with this time, I can confirm that the mood, insecurities and despair have been excellently captured. You can't accuse director Simon Kaijser of going too heavy on the tear ducts here, because the fate of the young men won't leave anyone cold. And death is cruel in its mercilessness, that much is clear once again. The almost 3 hours flew by for me and I often found myself fighting back tears. For all gay men under 40 who have not lived through these times, the series should be made compulsory viewing. Maybe then they will be a bit more humble and less hedonistic.

In the wake of The Normal Heart - which is still affecting me! - I didn't think another AIDS story would or could get to me the way this mini-series did. Set refreshingly in Stockholm, TATUH tells the story of two young gay men who come from very different yet similarly oppressive backgrounds: Benjamin is a Jehovah's Witness from Stockholm, Rasmus is a country boy from Värmland who goes to study in Stockholm and discovers the gay scene.

Having only recently learned about how much more liberal and accepting the Swedes were of gay people in the 1980's, this series still shocked me and showed many parallels to what was happening across the Atlantic in the States when it came to understanding and dealing with the disease.

In true Swedish fashion, this series is beautifully shot with a sometimes bleak cinematography that gives additional meaning to the metaphors and symbolism used throughout the series for added gravitas.

Despite the subject matter and coming from a culture where sex and nudity is not scandalous, I found the love scenes in TATUH quite tame and tasteful, some even beautifully rendered to illustrate the love between the characters.

I strongly recommend this series to anyone who wants to explore what the LGBT scene was like outside of the US during the AIDS crisis.

Script writer and author Jonas Gardell brings us a very interesting, genuinely touching, heart- wrenching and important piece of modern history. It deals with the start of the AIDS epidemic in 1980's homophobic Sweden.

It is a love story between Rasmus and Benjamin, two young men from very different backgrounds, in a time when homosexuality was still very much a taboo subject and not socially accepted.

But it is also a story of a time when young men in the gay community suddenly started to fall ill, whither away and die, in what became known as the "Gay Plague". A new virus shook the world and nobody knew how to deal with it. Ignorance lead to scaremongering, prejudices and enormous stigma, as the title suggests.

It is un-sentimental, yet truly and deeply touching. Beautifully filmed, well directed and phenomenally acted. The two leads Adam Palsson and Adam Lundgren give honest, moving, raw and believable performances as Rasmus and Benjamin, fighting for their love and acceptance from both their families and society. Simon J Berger shines in his portrayal of their friend, the flamboyant, fiercely loyal, brutally honest and truly life affirming "Paul". Bjorn Kjellman, narrator and also playing the older "Benjamin" is not featured so much but his performance is heart-breaking and honest. The supporting cast (especially the parents) are also VERY strong and provide a real backbone to the piece.

An important series that shows the dangers of ignorance and prejudice, the importance of love, acceptance and remembrance and a reminder that as "Paul" says: Nobody gets to live their life over, that's the point.

Rasmus lives with his parents in Koppom, a small town in Värmland, Sweden. Rasmus is homosexual. He wants to leave Koppom and it's narrow-minded views. Therefore, he moves in with his maternal aunt in Stockholm. Rasmus makes new friends and soon becomes happier.

Benjamin and his family live in Stockholm. They are Jehovah's Witnesses. Benjamin lives a double life. He is actually homosexual. One day he meets a new friend. His name is Paul and he invites Benjamin to a party. Benjamin accepts, goes to the party and meets Rasmus.

But soon the unthinkable happens. AIDS has come to Stockholm.

I really like this TV series. I think that it's both hopeful and heartbreaking. The plot isn't played out in chronological order. And in this case, I liked and needed that. The cast and crew also have, in my eyes, managed to create a story with depth. So what did I miss? Hm ... a few more happy moments, but honestly nothing else. And yes, I would like to recommend watching "Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves".