Part of a campaign initiated in 1989, this video is a component of Gran Fury’s plan to raise consciousness and advance medical and federal reform on AIDS policy. These ads ran on TV as a counterpart to controversial bus posters, which generated some intensely negative reactions. Using Benneton’s "United Colors" ad campaign to a decidedly different end, simple but powerful images and modern text deliver an enlighteningly direct message.
Tom Kalin’s work focuses on the portrayal of gay sexuality both in the age of AIDS and historically, as in his acclaimed New Queer Cinema feature Swoon (1992). Informed by his work with two AIDS activist collectives, ACT UP and Gran Fury, Kalin’s video work is characterized by beautifully murky appropriated images and vibrant original portraits and performances. Kalin co-produced the feature films Go Fish (Rose Troché, 1994) and I Shot Andy Warhol (Mary Harron, 1996) and is on the film faculty at Columbia University.