"We Were Here"...documentary on A.I.D.S. crisis in San Francisco touches!

 

For those who were “there” in San Francisco, the documentary “We were Here” is an emotional rollercoaster ride that impacts - and ultimately – sparks compassion.

The well-crafted taut account of the A.I.D.S. crisis at the height of the outbreak of the epidemic doesn’t pull any punches – and subsequently – ends up being an on-the-edge-of-your-seat drama that not only provokes thought but also stirs the emotions long after the dark chapter in American history closed.

The director  - David Weissman - accomplished this remarkable feat by expertly weaving a handful of faded news clips and riveting gut-wrenching visual images to recall the disturbing real-life tale about an insidious disease that struck down vibrant young men in the prime of life while a silent unfeeling Government – and its keepers – hid in the corridors of power and plotted to “quarantine” the infected.

I vividly recall the day I first heard about the mysterious virus.

One morning I dashed downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast, when my room-mate called out to me from the dining room.

“Julian, come read this,” he cried out excitedly.

“There’s cancer breaking out in New York and San Francisco that is killing gay men!"

The article, about one paragraph in length, was sketchy about the details because the virus was in its infancy and was not even given a name (or cause) yet by the medical community-at-large.

About two weeks later, newspaper headlines in dailies around the country were screaming about the killer disease.

On the heels of those disturbing reports, hysterical Americans - particularly homophobic bible-thumpers – cried out for government action.

Right off-the-bat, accusing fingers were pointed at the "gay" community and a homoerotic lifestyle - that some alleged - recklessly spread the mysterious killer disease.

In the wake of the public outcry - gay bath-houses were targeted - and ceremoniously shut down.

During that disturbing "era" of ignorance, friends like actor - Tony Hamilton - were shunned and died a horrible death alone as a result.

Post: 03/03/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/03/tony-hamiltonactors-meteoric-rise-to.html

I was touched personally, in fact, when dozens of friends and acquaintances over the years succumbed to A.I.D.S. with no cure in sight.

When one of my best Vancouver pals - who hailed from Nelson B.C. - was stricken, I was beside myself. 

Because Barrie was a responsible individual who preferred a monogamous relationship with a loving partner to a promiscuous lifestyle, it was evident that A.I.D.S. did not discriminate.

For this reason, I often reported on fundraising efforts in the community (the annual Los Angeles A.I.D.S. walk, for instance) to raise awareness, and likewise, put a spotlight on the bold-faced efforts of a concerned few to rustle up funds for vital research and fathom up treatments to quell the opportunistic infections ravaging its victims.

Post: 10/16/2010

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/10/aids-walk-los-angeleshal-sparks-mayor.html

Even in medical facilities, unfounded fears – and hysteria – reached a fever pitch.

For example, Doctors and nurses worried about their own well-being in the wake of the outbreak, and so, were reluctant to hug their patients or get too close to their charges who ached for a loving hand to reach out and console their weary hearts as death’s door creaked open to swallow up their ravaged bodies.

In response, the Government – not only ignored the crisis – but also turned its back on demands for much-needed funding to combat the spread of the disease.

In one instant case, Government officials did spring into action, however.

The U.S. Department of Naturalization and Immigration instituted laws to deny entry to travelers journeying to these shores (or electing to immigrate) who tested positive for the dreaded disease.

Shocking!

Fortunately, a few high-profile individuals in the show-biz arena - Elizabeth Taylor, or example - took up the good fight to try to convince the fearful that A.I.D.S. was not just a "gay" disease.

Post: 09/24/2008

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/09/elizabeth-tayloraids-activist-last.html

Fortunately, great minds in the field of research – and compassionate fundraisers, too – were prompted to take legitimate meaningful action.

Because of their relentless tireless efforts to raise funds for research – and, likewise - prescribe experimental drugs to stem the tide - the once-rampant outbreak of HIV and A.I.D.S. was finally curbed ( and held at bay).

In the documentary, the director succeeds in shedding a light on these troubling events, by virtue of a handful of interviews he conducted with residents of the Castro District who were actively involved in the struggle to come to grips with – and ultimately - overcome the crisis in the eleventh hour.

Their heartbreaking stories – recalled in vivid heart-wrenching detail – are a testament to the greatness of the human spirit.

“We were Here” is a must-see documentary for that reason alone.

Kudos!

http://www.thetattler.biz

A.I.D.S. Memorial Quilt!

Ground zero during A.I.D.S. crisis!

Blank City...documentary on NO WAVE directors provokes thought! Circa 1970's NYC!

On occasion, a film-goer saunters into a theatre - the lights go down - and they find themselves swept up into a thoroughly thought-provoking celluloid experience.

Such is the case with Blank City - a documentary on the "NO WAVE" film directors who roamed the artsy-fartsy climbs of the lower East-side of New York City - with 8mm cameras in greasy hand in the mid-to-late seventies at the height of the Big Apple's undisputed decline into total debauchery.

The motley crew of visionary artists (lured by cheap rents and squatter's rights) - featured in the well-crafted enlightening documentary - are only now being exalted (in part due to the deliberate efforts of the producers of Blank City who totally believed in this off-beat - but very real - gritty project).

Known to many as the "trangressives", these madcap filmmakers shook the sensibilities at a time when NYC was the hub of a hip culture where music, art, and fashion crossed-over in the lower East side of Manhattan.

This is how the producers describe their film:

"Uncovering New York’s underexposed filmmaking movements circa 1977 to 1987, this provocative documentary begins when New York City was ripe with cheap rent, cheap drugs, a summer hit by “Son of Sam,” and a 25-hour blackout. Captivated by the newly emerging downtown music scene, and inspired by Amos Poe’s 1977 punk documentary “Blank Generation,” two distinct groups of novice filmmakers emerged, hell-bent on capturing the volatile world around them."

And, at any cost!

"We had no money. So we stole our film stock and materials," one director joked in a candid interview.

One week, the young dynamic directors were in the mean streets shooting video - the next - screening their raw images at the St. Mark's Theatre for $2 a pop.

"Everyone had to pay. Especially, when wealthy patrons from uptown started to slip down into the bowery to catch our work when it became all the rage!"

The filmmakers recalled that it was a scary time in New York, too.

"You would be afraid to walk down the street at night for fear of being killed. There were so many empty lots, gutted-out lofts, and run-down tenement buildings."

At a time when the city was on the edge of bankruptcy, landlords had either abandoned their properties, or were inclined to offer up the premises for pittance to the struggling artists who dug in joyously in their inspiring haunts.

"We were itinerant Kings in broken-down castles," one auteur laughingly recalled.

In the scintillating documentary, a number of familiar faces parade across the screen - Deborah Harry - for instance.

The pop singer was a mainstay in the neighborhood during that time frame and often appeared in an experimental film or two.

Steve Buscemi (Fargo) also recalled that he starred in his first low-budget feature in these humble environs.

John Waters felt the movement was so important that he grabbed the opportunity to be interviewed onscreen to offer up commentary on the first wave of true Indie directors in the United States.

I used to reside on 2nd Street on the East Side in 1974 - and believe me - the filmmakers captured the essence of that remarkable era to a "t".

Readers may recall, that I once performed with a show-biz troupe known as the "Hot Peaches" - in an off-off-off Broadway production titled "The Magic Hype" - which was a spoof on the Andy Warhol superstars.

Post: 10/26/2008

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/10/blogginginternet-opens-door-to-past.html

During my visit to NYC in those heady days, I struck up a friendship with an infamous Andy Warhol underground film icon by the name of Jackie Curtis.

Post:  11/24/2007

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2007/11/jackie-curtiswarhol-star-on-edge.html

Jackie and I both played (and pursued our respective careers) in the same neighborhood where these early pioneers of independent film emerged.

"The key word in No Wave was "No"," noted film director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan).

"Anything that was anti-establishment," she recalled gleefully.

"The cultural scene was so bland at that time. That is why the movement sprang up. It was the start of punk, really," chimed in another.

The director for Blank City (Céline Danhier) stumbled on the treasure trove of film footage when she was doing research on a band that was featured in one of the legendary films crafted at the time (featuring the Ramones, I believe).

The documentary weaves an intriguing tale of the times by way of film clips, on-camera interviews, and old newsreels.

And, the plot is intriguing, to say the least.

For example, it is alleged that shortly after the city went bankrupt - real estate developers, city officials, and landlords - engaged in a conspiracy to "toss out" the artists so they could gentrify the lower east side.

In addition to chat about their creative endeavours, the filmmakers tend to wag their tongues on screen incessantly - too - about the illegal evictions and gross rights violations which took place in the aftermath of the 70's free-for-all.

Curiously, the documentary hints that the Reagan administration's failure to address the A.I.D.S. crisis was a deliberate one - designed to kill off all the artists (and revolutionaries) - rising up against the establishment and the status quo during that illustrious ground-breaking era.

The images are gritty, hard-hitting, and thought-provoking.

There are a handful of amusing moments, too.

Film Director Nick Zedd - for instance - noted that he starred in both the male and female lead roles in one scandalous titillating project.

"Vandals defaced the poster. But, I was glad. It got the reaction that I wanted," he laughed wickedly.

At a Q & A after the screening, the director noted that an archive of the films are currently being compiled at NYU.

"There is a definite need to preserve these important documents because they represent the emergence of independent film in this country," she concluded.

The filmmaker is currently seeking distribution for Blank City.

If it plays at a local revival house near you, do catch it!

http://www.thetattler.biz