Controversial documentary about gay men purposely contracting the AIDS virus.Controversial documentary about gay men purposely contracting the AIDS virus.Controversial documentary about gay men purposely contracting the AIDS virus.
- Director
- Writer
- Star
- Awards
- 3 wins
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe participants "Kenboy" and Doug Hitzel both died in 2017. Hitzel's cause of death was not made public by his family but he was only 35 years old at the time.
- Quotes
Bill: Kenboy has rented the dungeon to have a party tonight. About 150 guys are coming, and they're from his list. He's invited guys and then we have a list, and we've invited them, and they're coming here for our standard fuck party, that we generally hold here once a month. I mean, the rules have always been no drugs, no attitude, no condoms, no clothing. We do allow condoms now if guys wanna use them, we have no problem, but a hundred guys, a hundred twenty guys at the party, we'll find two or three condoms the next morning on the floor. That's it.
- ConnectionsReferences Will & Grace (1998)
The most impactful and transformative qualities that this film delivers, frame by frame, are couched between the spoken words and moving images. Thie Gift is masterful and highly effective in leaving the viewer with a compelling message that only grows on you from the moment that the screening ends because of the movie behind the one projected on screen which really begins the moment the ending credits roll.
The Gift does not pull any punches. It comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable. It is not for the fearful or for those who cannot pierce their own veil of denial and illusion. It holds the mirror up for the audience to see the dark underbelly of sexual addiction, self abandonment, internalized homophobia, and a subconscious thanatological desire.
Many feel more comfortable with laying the blame at the feet of the government, pharmaceutical companies or some other external source than we do with taking ownership over our own actions as a first step in establishing dominion over this epidemic. The Gift exposes the immediate necessity for a complete overhaul of HIV prevention programs and the consciousness of those individuals who run them, run to them, and run from them.
I now understand the deeper meaning behind the film's title. It is called The Gift because this film is a gift that the wise man can keep. It is a gift that promotes life instead of death.
Louise Hogarth has courage beyond words and pictures and that is what this film encourages the viewer to have more of...courage to face the nature of the beast within and to emerge transformed.
See this film now. It could save your life or the life of someone you love. It's that simple.
- polafota2000
- Oct 29, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- ザ・ギフト
- Filming locations
- Castro Street, San Francisco, California, USA(street scenes)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $200,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 2 minutes
- Color