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HIV Stigma Is Horror In The Groundbreaking Short Film Others
Watch this chilling film that seeks to help end the stigma around the virus.
Today is World AIDS Day, a time of reflection and a call to unite around the fight to end HIV stigma around the world. A new short film, Others, not only centers on the horror of stigma but is making history as the first time a professional actor living with HIV was intentionally cast to play an HIV+ lead protagonist.
The film was launched by Casey House, a specialty hospital providing care to those living with and at risk of HIV. The intent was to help end the stigma around the virus by making a short film inspired by the lived experiences of HIV+ people. “Others will spark needed conversation on the impacts of stigma that people living with HIV face every day. Horror is a genre that allows for complex social issues to be presented in a compelling way,” Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO, said in a press release. “An evolution of the hospital’s ongoing #SmashStigma initiative, the Others campaign looks to harness the power of fear — which fuels stigma — to spark conversations around outdated misconceptions about HIV.”
Peter McPherson stars in the short as a man whose HIV status makes him especially vulnerable when he finds himself stranded in a desolate place. “When I first read the Others casting call for an HIV+ actor I thought this sounded like an interesting project I wanted to be a part of,” Peter McPherson said in a press release. “But when I read the script, I instantly felt an intimate connection to the character. I get what the character has gone through,” he continued. “I’ve experienced the fear that stigma creates.”
The film was directed by Paul Shkordoff and co-stars Adrian Pavone, John K Ng, and Lora Burke.
This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is “Rock the Ribbon.”
According to The World Health Organization, “World AIDS Day brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) founded World AIDS Day on December 1 in 1988.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
