David France

How to Survive a Plague David France

Oscar-nominated documentary following the plight of activist groups ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and TAG (Treatment Action Group) to find and provide a treatment for HIV/AIDS during the epidemic of the 1980s. Led by American author Larry Kramer and AIDS sufferer Bob Rafsky, the two groups were involved in pressuring pharmaceutical companies and the government to work harder in creating drugs that would prolong the lives of those battling with the virus. Film-maker David France uses archive footage to document the campaign which resulted in the amount of fatalities caused by the disease being drastically reduced and access being provided to treatments which slow down the virus's progression.