Laurie Lynd’s feature length documentary Killing Patient Zero is a compelling, detailed exploration of how a French Canadian flight attendant, Gaëtan Dugas, came to be branded by the media as ‘Patient Zero’ and was widely blamed for the initial spread of AIDS among gay men in the USA. Based on Richard A. McKay's book Patient... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: The Inheritance (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York) ★★★★★
Matthew Lopez’s Best Play Olivier award-winning The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, has arrived on Broadway following last year’s highly acclaimed production at London’s Young Vic and its West End transfer, with many of the original cast. Inspired by E. M. Forster’s novel Howard End, the epic two-part play examines multigenerational gay life in New... Continue Reading →
DOC NYC 2019 Film Review: Killing Patient Zero ★★★★
This Sunday 10th November sees the United States premiere of Laurie Lynd’s Killing Patient Zero at DOC NYC in New York. It’s a compelling exploration of how a French Canadian flight attendant, Gaetan Dugas, came to be branded by the media as ‘Patient Zero’ and was widely blamed for bringing the HIV virus into the... Continue Reading →
Film Review: Vision Portraits ★★★★
Filmmaker Rodney Evans says towards the end of his new feature documentary Vision Portraits that he makes films about the things that he's most fearful of. Here the subject, or the starting point at least, is loss of sight. With under ten percent of vision remaining in each eye, Evans has no peripheral eyesight as... Continue Reading →
Film Review: This Is Not Berlin ★★★★
This year has already seen a wealth of authentic feeling, stylish screen drama centred on the teenage experience, with the likes of Euphoria and Share examining life in present day USA and now This Is Berlin takes us back to 1980s Mexico City. Xabiani Ponce de León stars as seventeen year-old Carlos, a highschooler unimpressed... Continue Reading →
Film Review: Are You Proud? ★★★
Are you proud? It’s a simple question with a lot of long and complicated answers, as highlighted in Ashley Joiner’s fascinating but unfocused documentary on the state of the LGBTQ movement in the United Kingdom. The film begins with a personal look at the state of queer Britain in the mid 20th century. A former... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: ‘Riot Act’ Arcola Theatre (London) ★★★★★
Alexis Gregory’s brilliant piece of verbatim theatre, Riot Act, has stopped by East London’s Arcola Theatre as part of a national tour. Looking at the events of Stonewall, the politics of drag and the rise of British LGBT activism in the 80s, this swift show packs a punch in its 60 minutes. Photo by Dawson... Continue Reading →
GMFA’s ‘Him. Me. Us.’ Campaign Photographer Benjamin Glean on HIV testing and representation
Returning to the streets of London for the second time, GMFA's Him.Me.Us. campaign is on a mission to increase awareness of HIV testing and representation among gay and bi black British men. 17 black gay and bi men were assembled for the campaign, shot by Londoner Benjamin Glean. Glean got involved with the project after... Continue Reading →
Metanoia: Transformation Through AIDS Archives and Activism at The Center New York
Opening Monday 11th March, Metanoia: Transformation Through AIDS Archives and Activism runs at The Center, New York City, through 29th April 2019. Examining community responses to the AIDS crisis, the archival exhibition aims to demonstrate that "HIV/AIDS is a powerful agent of change and that transformation happens through community, activism, words, sex, care and the... Continue Reading →