The First Fallen
It’s 1983, and the local gay/transgender community in small-town Brazil is partying as usual, unaware of the AIDS disaster that is about to change their lives forever.
Only biologist Suzano (Johnny Massaro) suspects, because he knows something sinister is ravaging his own body. He asks two friends – transsexual artist Rose (Renata Carvalho) and filmmaker Humberto (Victor Camilo) to help him at least record the oncoming problem, and try to survive it.
“The First Fallen” is Writer/director Rodrigo de Oliveira’s contribution to the worldwide AIDS story – and his own. He has described it as “the loving imagination of lineage, the invention of my family tree.”
The story is familiar to most people, certainly to film fans worldwide, who lost innumerable stars to the plague.
In this little Brazilian town, we will watch Massaro disintegrate little by little, while trying to help others and encourage them to be themselves, regardless of the consequences.
It’s a film about “the dream of being yourself fully, whatever weight the world puts on your shoulders; about the importance of community and the support from our chosen family.”
Let’s face it, this is a depressing topic, but important as a reminder that everyone, even victims of a plague like AIDS, is human and worthy of respect.
“The First Fallen” certainly gives a sad picture of a horrible story. I wish it had also given more facts; in other words, “the rest of the story.”
This is what I mean. More than 40 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the 1981 start of the epidemic. Treatments have since been found, and victims can now live with HIV. At last count in 2021, 38.4 million people globally were living with HIV.
No comments:
Post a Comment