The Gift

Every once in a while a film crosses the dark chasm between the screen and viewer and forges a bridge of truth between the heart of the viewer and the heart of the matter. The Gift is a perfect example of that as it naturally facilitates personal responsibility. This film goes way beyond issues of sexual orientation. Its message is valuable to individuals of all orientations. This is a do or die documentary focusing on death affirming choices that some souls make and the life affirming choices that they renounce.

The most impactful and transformative qualities that this film delivers, frame by frame, are couched between the spoken words and moving images. Thie Gift is masterful and highly effective in leaving the viewer with a compelling message that only grows on you from the moment that the screening ends because of the movie behind the one projected on screen which really begins the moment the ending credits roll.

The Gift does not pull any punches. It comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable. It is not for the fearful or for those who cannot pierce their own veil of denial and illusion. It holds the mirror up for the audience to see the dark underbelly of sexual addiction, self abandonment, internalized homophobia, and a subconscious thanatological desire.

Many feel more comfortable with laying the blame at the feet of the government, pharmaceutical companies or some other external source than we do with taking ownership over our own actions as a first step in establishing dominion over this epidemic. The Gift exposes the immediate necessity for a complete overhaul of HIV prevention programs and the consciousness of those individuals who run them, run to them, and run from them.

I now understand the deeper meaning behind the film's title. It is called The Gift because this film is a gift that the wise man can keep. It is a gift that promotes life instead of death.

Louise Hogarth has courage beyond words and pictures and that is what this film encourages the viewer to have more of...courage to face the nature of the beast within and to emerge transformed.

See this film now. It could save your life or the life of someone you love. It's that simple.

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.

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.

Gift, The (2003)

*** (out of 4)

Here's an incredibly disturbing and shocking documentary from director Louise Hogarth. My girlfriend and I were talking on the phone and flipping through upcoming films when she read the description of this thing and I couldn't believe it so I recorded the film. The documentary is about a bunch of gay men who are out there hoping to get infected with the HIV virus. The "reasons" were what I was most interested in but some of them want AIDS so that they can have unprotected sex without having to worry about catching it. Some want AIDS because it's the cool thing to do within the gay community. Apparently these people feel AIDS will mean they are "really gay". This is without a doubt one of the most troubling documentaries that I've ever seen because it actually scared the hell out of me. As a straight male I enjoy going out with my friends and picking up women and while I know all about AIDS, this doc scared the living crap out of me because of what these people are talking about. Apparently positive and negative members attend "don't ask, don't tell" sex parties where no condoms are used so they leave these parties not knowing if they are infected or not. Countless other horror stories are covered in this thing, which is truly eye opening even to those who are pretty familiar with all the truths and lies around the disease.

My name is Dani. I've been hearing about your documentary from my peers and the community of HIV prevention and education I work in. So I decided a couple of weeks ago to stay up until 3am and watch your film on the Sundance Channel. I am writing you first and foremost to congratulate you on a very powerful and moving film. I taped it and watched it probably five or six times, crying over this tragic problem in our community. As a health educator, it deeply saddens me and also awakened me to realize that I have to work harder because of this. As a health educator and a registered nurse myself, I firmly believe that this is a very effective and valuable tool we can show and disseminate to the community in general to decrease the incidence of HIV and AIDS not only in the Los Angeles county but everywhere it is needed. Thank you so much for making this film. This film delivers a powerful punch to awaken everybody's senses, to educate without ignorance and fear.