BBC's Horizon follows a diverse amount of scientific and technological topics, and this one in particular is their second entry about the AIDS virus - the previous, if I'm not wrong was "Killer in the Village" (1983) back when news about the disease were becoming more alarming in UK. This entry covers the studies about the virus, which was then recently discovered and received a name after a retrovirus research in 1984; the hardly ever talked about topic of rising cases among heterosexuals (the gay community was still taking the heat for the spread); the possibility of a vaccine; earlier treatments available (they mention AZT as being experimental then), in between interviews with specialists, doctors and AIDS patients. It's presentation is quite simple, easy to follow despite the many medical terms for those who don't know much about it and want to learn more, and it's quite useful to understand a different moment from a past era when hearing about the syndrome was frightening enough to panic.
Most of the time the documentary explains to viewers about the chain of cells of the virus and how they react inside the body (dated graphics but well explained despite the lame soundtrack) and why they start to kill the CD-4 cells - the body's defense mechanism; also discuss about the different ways of contagion (highly elucidating points since most people and educational manuals just talk about safe sex but they don't deeply exactly analyze the ways of contagion - this special was down, dirty and throw the reality about how it goes, no filter - even though the doctor explaining seemed a little embarrassed to speak). In between we have medical doctors explaining about those technical aspects and one team that was developing a vaccine and making early trials with animals. Since we don't have much of a follow up but learn in reality how we haven't got there yet, we can assume none of their work went further over the years.
What conquered me the most was the suffering human aspect introduced here. In the fore-mentioned episode it was the testimony from Bobbi Campbell, the AIDS poster-boy (as he called himself) during the early years of epidemic, which left an important mark due to his courage and in being an activist for the cause. In this episode it is a straight couple who got my attention, where the wife contracted tainted blood during a transfusion. The way she speaks about her challenges, the prejudice faced by her colleagues of profession who even refused to treat her or make jokes about her condition, is just sad. At the time of the film's making she was one of the very few people selected to test a new drug for treatment, the then experimental AZT - controversial in the following years since it improved health but caused many other problems and side effects, but now it's part of the cocktail along with other remedies. Again, we don't have updates about that nice lady (her full name isn't revealed) but it'd be nice to know if she survived, for how long and if she's still alive just like very few others who were diagnosed back in its darkest period and are still with us, with their disease turned as manageable.
Of historical and education values, this documentary is certainly one of the best in the theme. I'm looking forward to watch more and from other topics as well. 9/10