How to Survive a Plague (2012)

IMDb plot summary: The story of two coalitions -- ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) -- whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

Directed by David France.

How to Survive a Plague is a documentary looking at the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, focusing particularly on the activists who banded together to demand better research. It’s difficult to rank documentaries, much less such dark ones about deep injustices in our country’s past. The film does a great job of cutting together footage from that actual time period alongside talking heads of people who survived the epidemic long enough to be able to find a sustainable treatment. One thing that stood out in particular was the general attitude that so many of these people had: that they personally almost certainly would not survive, but they wanted to do their best for their future community. The film also captures how difficult it is to get a whole community to narrow their focuses enough to actually accomplish something – in-fighting and diverse interests make it all too easy for the group to fracture and lose their communal power. It’s a thoughtful and interesting look at a very dark time in our nation’s history, and the final moments where we finally got to see a glimpse of hope are powerful. Worth watching, for sure.

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 How to Survive a Plague (2012)

📊 Ranked #1515/4051 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 64

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