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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
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The Battle of AMFAR: Beauty and Brains Versus the Virus I opened up the small packet which I knew contained another documentary screener from HBO, and there was “The Battle of AMFAR”. I figured it was another doc about the global jihad, some battle in Afghanistan probably.
I pressed Play and realized immediately, ‘Oh, this is another doc about AIDS.’ The glib, careless thought flashed, ‘So, what else is new?’
And the film told me what else was new. Not new to our world, of course, but new to me.
‘AMFAR’ isn’t a place or a battle. No, it’s ‘amfAR’, and that acronym represents The American Foundation for AIDS Research. And this film is a testimonial to the immeasurably valuable work in addressing the AIDS epidemic by the organization founded by actress Elizabeth Taylor and researcher Mathilde Krim.
This 46 minute film provides a brief outline of AIDS’ history focusing on the national resistance to addressing the epidemic, and Krim’s and Taylor’s efforts to break that resistance by initiating and supporting the first substantive national response.
I knew from brief sound bytes on national news programs that Taylor had taken on the cause of preventing and treating AIDS, but I never knew what a fierce warrior she was until I saw and heard the clips of her presenting to large audiences, and, especially, to Congress.
Missing, still, from our documentary film world is one on Edward Hooper’s book about the genesis of HIV and AIDS, “The River”. There is a low-profile piece entitled “The Origin of AIDS” accessible directly from the book’s website. For those interested, the most powerful experience is simply to read the book. When I’m a mogul, I’ll greenlight a narrative film following Hooper’s odyssey to the headwaters of this river of tragedy.
“The Battle of AMFAR” is an HBO documentary, and, per usual, you may find other ways to see the film by going to the film’s site the link to which is above.