Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt

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.

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.

On the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day I sat down and watched this profoundly moving documentary that packs as much of an emotional wallop now as it did when I first saw it back in the very early 90's – I cried my eyes out. It was a time when many of my friends and acquaintances were suffering and dying from AIDS and many others were living with HIV. A time before combination therapy and drugs - for those who are able to access and afford them - helped prolong the lives of people living with HIV. The 'storytellers' are everyday people whose lovers, friends or family died of AIDS and who found an outlet to remember them and deal with their grief through the Quilt project. Their stories are inspirational, and the film beautifully constructed. Highly Recommended.

Winning the 1990 Oscar for Best Documentary, this originally aired on HBO. Watching After Stonewall reminded me of this documentary, and even just seeing the Quilt on THAT program made me tear up - simply from the memory of this documentary.

As a documentary, it's not very impressive - it's pretty rote and basic. However, in 1990, AIDS was still a strong fear - remember, the next year Bruce Davison was nominated for Longtime Companion - but the Bobby McFerrin music and the visuals affected me, in the same way that the Vietnam War Memorial scene from In Country.

This is a must-see documentary.

I've got to say that I hadn't thought of this incredible film in a while, but it came up recently (the current year is 2009) and I decided to check out the reviews here. The reviews, all by themselves, and the memory of the film, and the music, and of what the film meant and of the stories of the people in it, made me cry all over again--THAT'S how powerful it is, memories of it in my heart 20 years later.

In my view, this movie should be required viewing for all those people out there who still hate. And for all those precious people out there who genuinely love, this movie will find a welcome home in your heart, whether this be a first viewing, or a refreshed memory from decades ago.