We Were Here

2011

Biography / Documentary / History / News

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 100% · 45 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 86% · 2.5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.9/10 10 2382 2.4K

aids san francisco, california solidarity empowerment hiv disease

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Plot summary

A reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of the crisis.

Director

David Weissman Photo
David Weissman

Top cast

Tom Brokaw Photo
Tom Brokaw as Self - NBC News Anchor
Eileen Glutzer Photo
Eileen Glutzer as Self
Guy Clark Photo
Guy Clark as Self
Daniel Goldstein Photo
Daniel Goldstein as Self
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
829.68 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
29.97 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 6
1.5 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
29.97 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 13

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by TheDocHierarchy 7 / 10

'How to find meaning while battling an illness that confounds it'

The AIDS Epidemic first reached San Francisco and its vibrant gay community in the late 1970s. A mystery to doctors, both in form and how it was being transmitted, the disease that would come to be termed the 'gay plague' spread rapidly. By the start of the 1980s, men were rapidly presenting with symptoms of both Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia. With treatments having little effect, nothing could be done but to help them die.Weissman and Weber's 'We Were Here' is not an exploration of the impact of the AIDS epidemic per se, but of a chapter in American social history. Do not expect any reflection on the ongoing African epidemic for example, the focus is the effect on individuals and the community in San Francisco that went beyond that simply of illness and death. How does one retain moral strength when friends and loved ones are dying of an illness that is not only untreatable, but for a long time, simply unknown? In as much, the directors should be commended for finding a cast of people both so involved in the crisis, yet affected in such different ways by the devastation wrought. The inclusion of a lesbian nurse who worked in the city's first specific-AIDS ward and later helped organize a number of clinical trials is a notable touch given the hostility between the gay and lesbian communities at the time. The manner in which the epidemic brought the two communities together, with lesbians holding blood banks to exploit their immunity, is one of the film's most tender and poignant moments.Ultimately, what all the voices share are lives so deeply intertwined with the period that it is impossible not to get emotional listening to their recounting. Given the added context of the isolation and ostracision of the gay community during the period, one's admiration for the strength and perseverance shown by the men and women (one of whom is indeed HIV-positive) cannot be overstated.Do not fear a kitsch, overly-sentimental eulogy to those who died. 'We Were Here' is as much about life-affirmation as it is death. The many who died would be proud to see how their loved ones have managed to move on and enjoy fulfilling lives, without ever forgetting them.Concluding Thought: How to even begin to comprehend life as a homosexual in San Francisco at the time? The interviewees do their best to describe it, but I think even they know there are limits to what they can put across in words.
Reviewed by vacaville-shane 9 / 10

An Amazing Work

An amazing work. I just saw this with a friend who was too young to really remember what was going on in the late 80's and 90's. We both cried throughout the film, a good thing. It was a healing response for me, having lost too many friends and acquaintances. I am plenty grateful for this opportunity to hear the "survivors'" share in hindsight with such clarity. I knew what was going on in San Francisco proper through others' experiences, but nothing nearly as comprehensive as this film. My experience was in the military and my friends' being sent home when they tested positive ('86-'88), which was a death sentence at that time and then in the Montrose in Houston after the military. Thank you so very much for making this difficult but vital film. It will stand as a powerful reminder of what was and teach generations to come.
Reviewed by manschelde-1 8 / 10

essential viewing

This is a really fine piece of work.The BBC screened it on BBC4 in Febrary 2012 and made it available via i-Player also.Anyone who lived in the Bay Area during the eighties will be moved, informed and educated by this documentary. As a young gay geek in San Francisco in those years, I was overwhelmed by the deaths and suffering I saw and often could not make sense of it. This documentary really helps.The tales of the attacks on civil liberties by the bigots, and the personal tales were emotive and powerful. Now I salute those survivors and hope their stories will stimulate others in future onslaughts.
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