The Gift

I say that everyone should see this film at least once in their lifetime because it hits on a number of issues that deserve serious attention from everybody. We can all benefit from what Louise has to say.

People hear about gay men who want to have HIV and AIDS and they automatically assume that they're crazy and should be stayed away from. Or even worse, they think it's some kind of a joke. I approached this topic knowing next to nothing, and by the time the documentary was over, I had tears in my eyes. Louise captured their message and presents it to us loud and clear.

You don't have to be gay to be able to relate their stories to your own. We all feel the pressures that they felt, the fears that they felt, and the hopelessness, and instead of recognizing this, we decide to turn away. But everyone can stand to add a little compassion and understanding to their lives.

The Gift Documentary is one of the most important documentaries ever filmed. So very little has been done in the age of big medicine to prevent HIV infection. In the United States we do so much spending on end care and forget about prevention. The face of HIV and AIDS is distorted in the messages of pharmaceutical companies. I certainly do not want to preach, so I will just leave this debate to the numbers; The CDC and WHO provide statistics, alarming statistics that are, if flawed in any way, underestimates. This film, for many, could be the only source of HIV infection prevention available when no one is willing to talk about HIV. It provides REALITY.

YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT TOO MUCH. YOU CANNOT SEE HIS FILM TOO MANY TIMES. YOU CANNOT TELL TOO MANY PEOLE TO WATCH IT.

Knowledge is power and this film provides you with knowledge and something to think about, and talk about, and act upon in any way you know how. I take personal responsibility in doing what I can to talk about this film and its content. I encourage those who read this to view the film and do the same. The film is a responsible film that is about a situation that has an impact on the lives of many people.

See this film and let's get talking!

I've never seen a documentary filled with so many annoying people, both those who did and didn't want to be HIV+. Haven't seen many that are this poorly filmed and edited. This could have been something constructive, something helpful. The subjects in this documentary are not only allowed to make fools of themselves, they're allowed to make false or exaggerated claims repeatedly, i.e. all gay men over 40 are HIV+ or virgins.

While the topic is dreadfully serious (why I've given a four rather than one or two) and begs for discussion and action, this documentary does little more to advance either than a thirty second PSA. If this goes to DVD, think twice before renting, let alone buying.

As a State Health Department HIV Prevention Program, we provide regular training opportunities for local health departments and community-based organizations. We offer a two-day workshop six times each year designed to improve the skills of individuals who provide HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral Services.

Integrated into the curriculum is a documentary called "The Gift" by filmmaker Louise Hogarth. The film presents varied points of view on the controversial practice called "bug chasing", a term used to describe the efforts of some individuals who are choosing to become infected with HIV. Although the film is primarily centered on this phenomenon, a number of other very relevant issues are introduced by the film.

Increasing others' awareness of the practice of "bug chasing" is just one outcome we have seen in the showing of the film. More importantly, by presenting the experiences of a few individuals in extreme situations, "The Gift" brings about a better understanding of the complex and common reasons why anyone might risk becoming infected with HIV, even the majority of people who are not "bug chasers".

We show the film over the course of two days followed by a facilitated discussion. We ask the group the following questions to help broaden the scope of the film and the situations to which the film's messages might apply: • Despite great risk, two characters openly sought "the bug" to be part of a group with which they identified. In what other ways might the desire to belong impact the individuals that you work with? • There was a sense of fatalism expressed by some of the characters—they seemed to believe that contracting HIV was inevitable. How does this type of fatalism manifest itself among the individuals that you work with? How might it impact their risk-taking behavior? • "Culture" encompasses many aspects of a person's identification including past experiences, background and group affiliation. In your setting, how might an individual's culture impact how prevention services are delivered?

The majority of workshop participants over the past two years have responded very positively to the film. Many reported that experiencing "The Gift" was the part of the workshop that they liked the most. Others continue to express that since viewing "The Gift", the effectiveness of their interactions with individuals at risk for HIV has improved.

Because this topic has a lot of urban legend surrounding it, the film was an excellent way to get information out. It not only educated people who were clueless about bug chasing but provided faces to phenomenon that was previously anonymous. I was impressed at the depth of information that was presented. Researching the topic myself, I knew the information on chasing was few and far between. There is a lot of speculation and stories but not a lot of concrete facts. This documentary takes the topic from urban legend and begins to ask the questions that need to be addressed. The film also presents all sides of the issue which was refreshing. It was not a single point of view but rather a montage of opinions. This leaves it open for interpretation and for the viewer to formulate his or her own opinions. I found I was connecting with the people in the documentary and could rationalize why they chose to seek out HIV. Before watching the documentary I thought the idea of bug chasing was completely insane but actually hearing people discuss the topic, made me realize that it wasn't that far fetched of an idea and hearing their reasonings made my heart go out to them.