Watch unlimited films online for $6.99.
Try MUBI for FREE.
 

We Were Here

United States

2011

90 Min
Color
English
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

   |   

DIR David Weissman, Bill Weber

PROD David Weissman

DP Marsha Kahm

ED Bill Weber

MUSIC Holcombe Waller

SOUND Lauretta Molitor

Sundance (U.S. Documentary Competition), Berlinale (Panorama Dokument), Outfest (Documentary Features): Audience Award, Queer Lisboa (Documentary Competition), Helsinki (Politics!), Ghent (Documentaries), Stockholm (Documania), Belfast (Documentary)

Synopsis

In the early 1970s, in the shadow of the Stonewall riots and the free-love movement, gay men and lesbians flocked to San Francisco to find acceptance. They formed a thriving, tight-knit community until the arrival of AIDS in the early 1980s drove them under siege.

Director David Weissman (The Cockettes screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival) chronicles this transformative era through the stories of five individuals who lived through the best and the worst of it. In the face of unheralded tragedy, these men and women relate how they were affected and the way their community united to help those suffering and prevent further deaths.

Elegiac but inspirational, We Were Here bears witness to the experiences of those who died—and, equally importantly, those who lived—in the earliest years of the AIDS epidemic. Its story is universal, showing the capacity for compassion and strength in all of us, even against unimaginable adversity. —Sundance Film Festival

Wall

Displaying 3 wall posts.
Picture of Michael Harbour

Michael Harbour

14Jan12

A loving and heartbreaking documentary about how the AIDS epidemic impacted the gay community in San Francisco. The film's narrow focus on the lives of half a dozen or so interviewees yields a universal message of hope and compassion in the face of devastating tragedy.

Picture of D_m_a_T_T

D_m_a_T_T

9Sep11

Saw this at the Berlinale - it was really a moving piece, partially as a result of my personal life (born and raised in San Francisco, spent formative years volunteering at HIV-related community orgs), but also because of the impressive stories and images weaved together by Weissman. This film makes me sad through its study of life and death, but proud of my city and the community that survived these painful years.

Matthew_Lucas

31Mar11

Devastating documentary chronicles the AIDS epidemic in the gay community from its beginnings in San Francisco. Plays out almost like a war doc, using personal stories to create a look at the front lines of the battle against AIDS with great reverence and dignity.

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 13 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Daily Briefing. Artforum's Best of 2011

By David Hudson on December 1, 2011

Also: The campaign to give Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret a fair shake.

read article
W184

Docs. Leonard Retel Helmrich, Andrei Ujică, More

By David Hudson on September 15, 2011

A roundup on documentaries opening tomorrow or still in theaters.

read article

Lists

Displaying 5 of 28 lists.

Reviews

No reviews yet — Write the first

Forum

Displaying 0 discussion topics.