One of the few newspapers to write, direct and produce a feature-length documentary, the San Francisco Chronicle, Northern California's largest newspaper, will debut its first film, Last Men Standing, April 8 at the Castro Theatre. The documentary, which follows the lives and experiences of eight long-term AIDS survivors, is part of a larger special report featuring interactive digital and print features by Chronicle reporter Erin Allday.
"Our mission is to tell the story of our city, and no other public health crisis struck a U.S. city as deeply as AIDS hit San Francisco. Tens of thousands of San Franciscans were promised a sudden death – and thousands succumbed to the AIDS plague. But many of them survived, only to live a life where death was a constant companion,” said Chronicle editor-in-chief Audrey Cooper. “Doing this story as a 20-page print section, an interactive digital project and a documentary is a key way that we are expanding our role as Northern California's largest news source. Telling a story in multiple ways helps us reach as many people as possible."
Allday spent 10 months interviewing more than 50 men who have lived with HIV/AIDS for half of their lives, as well as doctors, activists, city officials and LGBT allies. She worked with videographers Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin to document the experience of eight men. These survivors reflect the struggles taking place across San Francisco and the country as survivors continue fighting for their lives.
"The documentary is a really amazing companion piece to the story that I did," said Chronicle reporter Allday. "I'm able to dive deep and tell in a lot of detail what these guys are dealing with, what they've been through and what needs to be done. Erin and Tim really capture the emotion and intimacy of these stories in a way that's limited in print."
Allday's in-depth feature will appear in print March 6th and is online at sfchron.cl/survivingAIDS. Follow the conversation through #SurvivingAids.
Tickets for the April 8th premiere of Last Men Standing can be purchased at sfchronicle.com/lastmenstanding.