WHEN LIVING WITH HIV IS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
In present-day Ireland, many people are silent about their HIV status because society has silenced them, not only in Ireland, but in Guatemala and other countries, there is no education on the subject, and silence reigns, not to mention vulnerable points along the medicine supply chain as in my motherland. Let´s not forget Keith Haring and Robin Campillo´s 120 BPM deep concerns.
How to Tell a Secret is a ray of sunshine at the end of a long tunnel that began in the early 1980s and continues to date. The film presents moving and honest stories of HIV+ men and women in their 20s and early 30s aware they have lost something that would never get back. Theatrical reconstructions of testimonies of real experiences that actually happened build the narrative and provide a contemporary portrait of the young men from rural Ireland and Dublin, migrants, women, mothers that give birth and others that have lived behind the curtain due to the stigma, the ones that have been dealing with frustration, disinformation, shame, fear, guilt, and loneliness because of a pandemic that commemorates its date worldwide on December 1st. Although not a death sentence anymore, being HIV+ requires courage, daily treatment, and discipline to procure the desirable U=U status (i.e. undetectable equals untransmittable.)
Robbie Lawlor, Enda McGrattan and Michael Clancy, find their way with time, charm, and energy to tell a secret that is personal and as said, maybe a weapon in the wrong hands. It is hard to face that some not only come out of the closet but have to open up about being HIV+ too, if not, are forced into another closet due to the HIV diagnosis. McGrattan´song I Came Out Last NIght; a presentation on Irish television; a storytelling workshop; and a theatre project about disclosure in which HIV people participate,. make the private public and are very creative ways that should replicate, if possible.
It seems that Irish men and women living with HIV have no problem telling anybody about their status, may they be an example for many to follow to build community, become stronger, be braver, more human, and resilient.
As Roger Walker-Dack wrote here, “Once in a blue moon, a feature film comes along that looks at the whole HIV phenomenon in a different context and is both inspiring and totally uplifting”
The film, which includes a tribute to Thom McGinty also known as The Diceman, is being released in Ireland on World AIDS Day.
Review by José Mayorga , Guatemala, Central America lawyer and notary public, visual artist, and editor of El Azar Cultural, lives and works in Guatemala City. Cinema lover, curious about the possibilities life brings and eager to live the experience.
Editors Note: it is extremely rare for Queerguru to review anything more than once, but when José Mayorga our Guatemala-based Contributing Editor viewed this new documentary he was pleasantly shocked by how much he could relate to the film. Hence we were delighted that he chose to write about it from his personal perspective on what we thought was a real Irish story but is just as relevant and pertinent to other communities around the globe
