AMSA film and book lovers,

I would like to add to the movie/book list a few that I think are really 
great, albeit older (not outdated) and not particularly well known.  They 
have the added advantage of being small, and easy to cram between studying.

Social Critic Susan Sontag's essay "AIDS and Its Metaphors" is usually 
paired with the Related essay "Illness as a Metaphor".  These two essays are 
filled with humane and original ideas about disease and the modern 
condition.  Another book that I haven't actually read yet, but that has been 
suggested to me is "My Own Country: A Doctor's Story of a Town and Its 
People in the Age of AIDS" by Abraham Verghese.

Another good movie that I saw a few years ago is "Longtime Companion".  I 
couldn't remember the name and had to look it up on Amazon.  Here is the 
review they had:

The late director Norman Rene and writer Craig Lucas made a pretty fine 
creative team on the stage and in the movies, and this 1990 drama about the 
evolving impact of AIDS on gay New Yorkers is their best cinematic 
achievement. The ensemble story follows the lives of nine or so characters 
as word of the so-called "gay cancer" eventually becomes a real force, 
killing several of them as the years go by. The film works well on a number 
of levels, not least of which is the enviable closeness of the characters, 
the script's wit, the bittersweet experience of loss, and a celebratory 
attitude at the end mixing wisdom with defiance. --Tom Keogh

Try and check these out, and if you already have, I would like to discuss 
them.  I have a copy of the books to borrow, and can tell you where to get a 
hold of the movie.

Josh

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Quy Ton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "AMSA Listserv" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [AMSA] World AIDS Day(s):  And the Band Played On / Movie series?
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2002 11:52:09 -0600

Hey, one final email for now.

Celia and I were talking about some AMSA stuff last night and the book and 
movie, "And the Band Played On" came up during one of our many tangents.  
For those who don't recall, it's about how the causative agent of HIV/AIDS 
was discovered in the 1980s after an outbreak in the bay area and the 
subsequent controversy over who actually discovered it, Americans or French. 
  For Matthew Modine fans, the movie features him as the American 
epidemiologist.

We were thinking that we could show the movie in our the 2nd year classroom 
on Dec. 2.  If any of you can think of any other good movies, articles or 
books about HIV/AIDS, perhaps we can even put together a reading and movie 
list, please let us know.

Looking ahead, I think showing a series of movies on health and social 
justice issues would be a great way to continue educating ourselves and 
others on these important issues.  One great movie that directly and 
effectively shows the disastrous health effects of world bank policies on a 
developing country is "Life and Debt" an excellent and entertaining 
documentary on global health policy effects on Jamaica, with interviews with 
very articulate farmers, factory workers and the former president about how 
the world bank shafted them.  Please let us know if you have any other 
movies that would be good to show.

Just a few thoughts.  Now back to work.  Peace out.

Quy


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