What Happened Was This

[William769]

Perhaps it’s easy to think that the story of AIDS in the gay community has been told, but a deeper examination of the mid-1980’s health crisis has really only begun. A new documentary, We Were Here, tackles the epic tale of the early years of AIDS in San Francisco, through intimate interviews with five people — four gay men and one straight woman — whose experiences with care giving, research, art, activism and personal loss poignantly illuminate an extraordinary time.

The movie opens in New York September 9, in Los Angeles September 16, and in San Francisco September. Lovingly directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber — whose 2002 documentary The Cockettes was a rousing, kick-up-your-heels celebration of gay life in the city by the bay — We Were Here has helped spark a dialogue between those who lived through the period and a younger generation of gay men who are often afraid to ask about it.

The Advocate sat down with Weissman and Weber at a busy film festival lounge in January, where their emotional discussion was distracted by some rather incongruous celebrity spotting.

The Advocate: You guys were here at Sundance with The Cockettes. How is this experience different?
Weber: It’s very different. This is an emotional rollercoaster. When we were here with The Cockettes, some woman came out of the screening crying. She said, “Thank you for not letting that story be forgotten.” David and I cried with her. That’s happening a lot more with this film. But it’s not all sadness.

http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/What_Happened_Was_This/