Fear of Disclosure
This was the first film to specifically address the difficulties in relationships between HIV-positive and HIV-negative men. Two go-go dancers assess each other’s mortality while the world rotates and a gay man reflects on the psychosocial consequences of the disclosure of his HIV infection. Video images caught in a loop of restless perseverance. A feverish attempt to make a film to battle the shock that the AIDS crisis presented to a vibrant sexuality. Resolutely, the directors expose the corrosion of desire as a result of the fear of rejection.
Along with the documentary Self-Portrait in 23 Rounds: a Chapter in David Wojnarowicz's Life, 1989–1991 by Marion Scemama, the film complements the exhibition “David Wojnarowicz: Photography & Film 1978-1992” that begins during the Berlinale at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin.
details
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Runtime
5 min -
Country
United States -
Year of Presentation
2019 -
Year of Production
1989 -
Director
Phil Zwickler, David Wojnarowicz -
Cast
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Production Company
Tapestry International, New York -
Berlinale Section
Panorama -
Berlinale Category
Biography Phil Zwickler
Filmmaker and writer about gay and lesbian issues and the AIDS crisis. Philip was known for his work on Rights and Reactions: Lesbian & Gay Rights on Trial , an award-winning documentary covering the 1986 New York City Council hearings on the gay rights bill (1988). He collaborated with David Wojnarowicz to produce Fear of Disclosure (1994), a short film about the issues gay men face dating in the context of AIDS.
Phil also worked with experimental German film maker, Rosa von Praunheim, to produce "Silence Equals Death" and "Positive," both exploring the emotions and anger of people with AIDS. The film "Positive" includes interviews with Zwickler and two other men who were HIV-positive. He produced his final project, "The Needle Nightmares" (1991), with the help of David Meieran.
Phil also worked as a news reporter, publishing stories in the Village Voice and serving as editor of the People with AIDS Coalition Newsline for a number of years. Before working in film and journalism, he taught literature in New York City public schools and community colleges.
He died from the complications of AIDS , aged 36, in Manhattan, New York City, New York.
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