Representing HIV/AIDS

This page documents a wide range of films, television shows and moving-image productions containing or related to HIV/AIDS and its histories since the 1980s. Entries were selected based on their relevance to HIV/AIDS. The list demonstrate a variety of approaches to representing and “seeing” the experiences of HIV/AIDS, illuminating clear representational gaps (geographically and in terms of identity – e.g. gender and race). These entries represent diverse social and cultural impacts of HIV/AIDS on communities across the globe and is increasingly expanding as the ongoing pandemic takes new shapes and raises new problems. With this in mind, further inclusion of medicalised and scientific approaches using moving-image production is needed.

Though I hope this list will someday be exhaustive, its components are acknowledged as necessarily incomplete. I will update this list as I come across new titles, including non-mainstream moving-image productions, through my academic and archival research. This list appears in alphabetical order. Future iterations may enhance this list by exploring chronological order(s) and annotations which look at the relationships between and/or across multiple ordering(s) of moving-image histories.

  • 120 Beats per Minute. (2017). Directed by Robin Campillo.
  • 1985. (2018). Directed by Yen Tan.
  • After 82. (2019). Directed by Steve Keeble and Ben Lord.
  • After Louie. (2017). Directed by Vincent Gagliostro.
  • The Age of AIDS. (2006). Directed by Renata Simone.
  • A Home at the End of the World. (2004). Directed by Michael Mayer.
  • All About My Mother. (1999). Directed by Pedro Almodóvar.
  • A Mother’s Prayer. (1995). Directed by Larry Elikann.
  • And the Band Played On. (1994). Directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
  • Andre’s Mother. (1990). Directed by Deborah Reinisch.
  • An Early Frost. (1985). Directed by John Erman.
  • Angels in America. (2003). Directed by Mike Nichols.
  • A Place for Annie. (1994). Directed by John Gray.
  • As Is. (1986). Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
  • A Virus Knows No Morals. (1986). Directed by Rosa von Praunheim.
  • A Year Without Love. (2005). Directed by Anahí Berneri.
  • Blue. (1993). Directed by Derek Jarman.
  • Boys on the Side. (1995). Directed by Herbert Ross.
  • Buddies. (1985). Directed by Arthur J. Bressan, Jr.
  • Chocolate Babies. (1996). Directed by Stephen Winter.
  • Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt. (1989). Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
  • The Cure. (1995). Directed by Peter Horton.
  • Dallas Buyers Club. (2013). Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.
  • Drôle de Félix. (2000). Directed by Jacques Martineau and Olivier Ducastel.
  • Endgame: AIDS in Black America. (2017). Directed by Renata Simone.
  • Fast Trip, Long Drop. (1994). Directed by Gregg Bordowitz.
  • The Fathers Project. (2018-19). Directed by Leo Herrera.
  • Feast. (2021). Directed by Tim Leyendekker.
  • Fig Trees. (2009). Directed by John Greyson.
  • Fight Back, Fight AIDS: 15 Years of ACT UP. (2002). Directed by James Wentzy.
  • Fire in the Blood. (2013). Directed by Dylan Mohan Gray.
  • Gia. (1998). Directed by Michael Cristofer.
  • The Gift. (2003). Directed by Louise Hogarth.
  • The Grass is Always Grindr. (2018-2019). Directed by Luke Davies.
  • Halston. (2021). Directed by Ryan Murphy.
  • Holding the Man. (2015). Directed by Neil Armfield.
  • The Hours. (2002). Directed by Stephen Daldry.
  • Howard. (2018). Directed by Don Hahn.
  • How to Survive a Plague. (2012). Directed by David France.
  • In the Gloaming. (1997). Directed by Christopher Reeve.
  • Intimate Contact. (1987). Directed by Waris Hussein.
  • It’s a Sin. (2021). Directed by Russell T. Davies.
  • It’s My Party. (1996). Directed by Randal Kleiser.
  • Jeanne et le garçon formidable. (1998). Directed by Jacques Martineau and Olivier Ducastel.
  • Jeffrey. (1995). Directed by Christopher Ashley.
  • Killing Patient Zero. (2019). Directed by Laurie Lynd.
  • Last Men Standing. (2016). Directed by Erin Brethauer and Timothy Hussin.
  • The Lazarus Effect. (2010). Directed by Lance Bangs.
  • Life Above All. (2010). Directed by Oliver Schmitz.
  • Life Support. (2007). Directed by Nelson George.
  • The Living End. (1992). Directed by Gregg Araki.
  • Longtime Companion. (1989). Directed by Norman René.
  • Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997). Directed by Joe Mantello.
  • Lovesick. (2018). Directed by Ann S. Kim & Priya Giri Desai.
  • The Normal Heart. (2014). Directed by Ryan Murphy.
  • Nothing Without Us: The Women Who Will End AIDS. (2017). Directed by Harriet Hirshorn.
  • Our Sons. (1991). Directed by John Erman.
  • Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo. (2016). Directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau.
  • Parting Glances. (1986). Directed by Bill Sherwood.
  • Pedro. (2008). Directed by Nick Oceano.
  • Philadelphia. (1994). Directed by Johnathan Demme.
  • Pili. (2017). Directed by Leanne Welham.
  • Pose. (2018-2021). Directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton (et al).
  • Positive. (1990). Directed by Rosa von Praunheim.
  • Precious. (2009). Directed by Lee Daniels.
  • Quiet Heroes. (2018). Directed by Jared Ruga.
  • Relax. (1991). Directed by Christopher Newby.
  • Rent. (2005). Directed by Chris Columbus.
  • The Ryan White Story. (1989). Directed by John Herzfeld.
  • Savage Nights. (1992). Directed by Cyril Collard.
  • Sex Positive. (2008). Directed by Daryl Wein.
  • Silverlake Life: The View from Here. (1993). Directed by Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman.
  • Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story. (1992). Directed by Tom McLoughlin.
  • Sorry Angel. (2018). Directed by Christophe Honoré.
  • Test. (2013). Directed by Chris Mason Johnson.
  • Three Needles. (2005). Directed by Thom Fitzgerald.
  • Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021). Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
  • Tongues Untied. (1989). Directed by Marlon Riggs.
  • United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. (2012). Directed by Jim Hubbard.
  • Vito. (2011). Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz.
  • We Were Here. (2010). Directed by David Weissman.
  • Wilhemina’s War. (2015). Directed by June Cross.
  • The Witnesses. (2007). Directed by André Téchiné.
  • Yesterday. (2004). Directed by Darrell Roodt.
  • Zero Patience. (1993). Directed by John Greyson.

For more information about HIV/AIDS, the politics of representation, and cultural/media studies, please see this list of related books.