The Gift

5/20/18. This was such a scary documentary to watch. That's because it deals with a very emotional issue among gay men - being HIV positive. When a lot of the gay men culture revolves around anonymous unprotected sex as the way to interact, it is incredible that gay men who have a hard time with this kind of lifestyle would resort to getting infected just so they could fit in. Even worse are those who are HIV positive and are more than willing to infect others. Getting infected is terrible and gay men should practice safe sex, not just for themselves but for their partners. One's own health should be a priority all the time. This is must-viewing for adolescents and young men who are exploring their sexuality.

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.

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.

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!