Simon Watney

AFTER 82 brings to the screen the untold personal stories of the AIDS crisis in the UK. Narrated by Dominic West, this incredible documentary looks back to the very early days of the pandemic when there were no medications and a positive HIV test meant almost certain death. Many of those featured have never spoken openly to the media about those traumatic early days, and this may be the only time they will do so. The film features interviews with the actor Jonathan Blake (portrayed in the film Pride by Dominic West) who has lived with the virus for over thirty years. This frank and important movie features moving interviews about a desperate time that the world must never forget. It beautifully commemorates those lost to AIDS, it celebrates those who supported people living with the virus and the many who continue to be there for those in need. AFTER 82 is a remarkable testament to human compassion, strength, love and resilience and ensures that those voices will never be forgotten.

Through a series of interviews with leading British AIDS activists and cultural theorists, this documentary investigates the way in which AIDS has been used by the media and by the government to increase state harassment of gay men and lesbians, black people and women. Framing the problem in terms of a left politic, the tape reveals how both homophobia and puritanism have been responsible for the slow government response to AIDS.