''Positive'' is a 1990 documentary film directed, written and produced by Rosa von Praunheim (in cooperation with Phil Zwickler). The film received international resonance.Murray, ''Images in the Dark'', p. 109

Plot

''Positive'' is about how the gay community in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and its activists deal with the

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

crisis. The film's protagonists include Larry Kramer and Diamanda Galás.Kuzniar, ''The Queer German Cinema'', p. 90

Production notes

''Positive'' is the first part of Rosa von Praunheim's ''AIDS-Trilogy''.

Awards

*1990: Queer Film Prize of the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

(together with '' Silence = Death'')

Reception

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

wrote in 1992: "''Silence = Death'' and ''Positive'': The best AIDS films to date .." The

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

summed it up: "In short, Praunheim is just the man for the job he has taken on with ''Silence = Death'' and ''Positive'': he has the breadth of vision, the compassion and the militance and, yes, the sense of humor necessary to tackle the AIDS epidemic in all its aspects."

Notes

References

* Kuzniar, Alice A, ''The Queer German Cinema'', Stanford University Press, 2000, *Murray, Raymond. ''Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Guide to the Cinema of Spain''. TLA Publications, 1994,

External links

* {{Rosa von Praunheim 1990 films 1990 documentary films West German films Documentary films about HIV/AIDS Films directed by Rosa von Praunheim 1990s English-language films HIV/AIDS in American films HIV/AIDS in German films 1990s German films English-language German films German LGBTQ-related documentary films 1990 LGBTQ-related films English-language documentary films