The Cinematheque

“Words like ​‘important’ and ​‘inspiring’ tend too often to be meaninglessly attached to non-fiction filmmaking, but in the case of David France’s compelling snapshot of a revolutionary period in AIDS treatment, they are amply justified.”

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“Faced with their own mortality, an improbable group of mostly HIV-positive young men and women broke the mold as radical warriors taking on Washington and the medical establishment. How to Survive a Plague is the story of two coalitions — ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) — whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition. Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With unfettered access to rare archival footage, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of controversial actions, heated meetings, heartbreaking failures, and exultant breakthroughs. Blisteringly powerful, his documentary transports us back to a vital time of unbridled death, political indifference, and staggering resilience, and constructs a commanding archetype for activism today” (Sundance Film Festival).