The Infectious Myth - (Positive) Hell! Censored again! - 09.27.16

In episode 116 David interviews film makers Joan Shenton and Andi Reiss about their documentary “Positive Hell”, now censored for the second time in the UK, ironically after having been shown, and received awards, at film festivals in the US and Spain. The film documents five people in Spain who have lived with an HIV diagnosis for decades without taking AIDS drugs for more than a short time. The group is led by an HIV+ doctor who recovered his health after recovering from alcoholism, just as the others recovered from heroin addiction. The film got into trouble both times because gay men objected to it. Not because of its portrayal of gay men, all the people in the film are heterosexual, but because of the belief that any questioning of the scientific HIV=AIDS=Death theory is homophobia. An irrational belief, but exceedingly common, and a belief supported by politically correct people who couldn’t bear to distress a besieged minority. And, in fact, the latest censorship by the Portobello film festival (the first was by the so-called London ‘Independent’ Film Festival), was justified because the film would cause ‘distress’, although how it can do this you will have to decide for yourself. I hope you will watch it on YouTube. If you have strong feelings, let David know.

You can view the film ‘Positive Hell’ at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ3n6icJIXA