They Were There: A Review of 'We Were Here'

Saw "We Were Here" at a star-studded screening at the Anthology Film Archives a few weeks ago, but never got around to writing about it for a variety of reasons. David Weissman and Bill Weber's no-frills documentary is an intimate look at the earliest days of the AIDS crisis -- sort of the West Coast bookend to Larry Kramer's "Normal Heart" -- told through the eyes of five people who lived through the horror and devastation, either surviving the disease or as caregivers when few were (understandably) brave enough to care. The stories are harrowing to say the least, but it's the subjects' immediate likability and inescapable vulnerability when discussing their experiences that make the film so captivating as it makes you feel like you're hearing this from an old friend. Every so often a film comes along that I wish were mandatory viewing for LGBT youth. This is one of them. My grade: A.

"We Were Here" is showing at the Cinema Village in Manhattan, Laemmle Sunset 5 in Los Angeles and Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena. For more information, click HERE.