Aids: The Unheard Tapes

A beautiful, tragic, uplifting and upsetting celebration of the lives lost in the first wave of the HIV virus. These are the long lost testimonies of a seemingly dystopian society that seem so far away, yet still ever so slightly visible.

It's powerful, and one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Even the staunchest of homophobes would fail to dismiss the heartbreak on view. The human stories of love and loss told by people in their own words and voices makes this far more powerful than any acted content. 10/10.

I was worried when I saw that it was actors lip syncing to the archive interview tapes. After a few minutes of being distracted by that fact, I was completely mesmerized by the content. And the actors all did an amazing job in their roles as these HIV and AIDS patients, some who lost their lives and others who are still here. By using these actors along with archive photos and video, it didn't feel like these were anonymous patients. I felt like I really got to know these three dimensional people who were telling their fascinating stories and dropping wisdom at an unbelievable pace. It's beautifully done and important to remember the history of the government's non-reaction to the virus and the awful (fully undeserved) stigma attached to the diagnosis for so many years. Highly recommend.

Brutally Honest & Candid! Learnt so much about the history of HIV & Gay culture. Hard to listen to at times but Beautifully told. Watched all 3 episodes back to back. Thank you BBC xx.