The Film: Last Men Standing
Rich and distinguished stories unfold among the lives of long-term survivors who have learned how to celebrate, heal, love, and thrive after the devastation of the early AIDS crisis. In this cathartic and intimate documentary, eight men look back on their experiences and then toward the future with the strength and resiliency they have cultivated over the past 30 years.
Survivors are still affected by the trauma of not only their diagnosis but also the loss of community and way of life. Nobody knew they would grow old with AIDS. Many abandoned careers and went on long-term disability to wait out their death sentence, and now they face an uncertain economic future. As they age, and as the Castro neighbourhood changes, long-term survivors are also creating new ways to connect, and to find meaning and community. This meditative documentary, the first full-length film produced by the San Francisco Chronicle, draws attention to the emotional and inspiring history of the city’s gay community in the post-AIDS era.
The film, by Chronicle staff visual journalists Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin, was created over the course of 10 months and was released in conjunction with a special 20-page newspaper section featuring a story by Erin Allday and an accompanying online package of stories, videos and interactive graphics.
Reel Causes is pleased to co-present Last Men Standing with our friends at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, who tipped us off about this fantastic film.
