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How to tell a secret: Living with HIV and fighting stigma

01:25:54

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November 29, 2024

An HIV-positive diagnosis is something people still hide, today. In this film, people in Ireland living with HIV share their experiences - some for the first time on camera - with emotional candor, using a variety of means.

Robbie Lawlor was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 21 and was one of the youngest people to come out on Irish television. Enda McGrattan, aka Veda, promised to keep his HIV infection a secret for a decade, but finally came out by releasing a song. And a group of Irish women and migrants who cannot show their faces have nonetheless found creative ways to make their voices heard... Based on a theater performance, the film was made by directing duo Anna Rodgers and Shaun Dunne. They used documentary film, performance and cross-genre storytelling techniques to make the protagonists’ stories tangible. Using archive material and re-enactment, the queer Irish icon Thom McGinty, aka "The Diceman”, who was one of the first in Ireland to speak openly about their AIDS illness, is also honored. Exploring social stigma and the art of storytelling, this film highlights the experiences of people living with HIV in Ireland today.

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