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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
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Vito: The Life and Times of Vito Russo
My friends are probably tired of hearing me say, "If I was a mogul I'd green-light [place movie subject here]." My list of to-be-produced films is long. I've just added to that list a biopic of Vito Russo—thanks to the deeply moving and highly informative "VITO: The Life of Gay Rights Activist Vito Russo" produced and directed by my almost namesake Jeffrey Schwarz, and cablecast by HBO.
Cablecast on HBO the Summer of 2012, "VITO" tells several stories in outline form: the gay rights movement, America's response to the AIDS epidemic, the treatment of gay characters in American cinema, and, primarily, Vito Russo's biography. The story follows Russo from childhood through his passing from AIDS. What stands out is a strong, tenacious, talented, courageous, and consistently upbeat character who takes an heroic stand for human rights and dignity. Although his untimely passing seems inevitable, that does not diminish the tragedy of his loss to our world.
Amongst Russo's many accomplishments is the publication of his instant classic book, "The Celluloid Closet" which was adapted by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman for HBO.
The film is one of the most haunting documentaries I've seen. Russo's story and Schwarz' standard-bearing film deserve wide attention and appreciation. D. Schwartz July 29, 2012