This indie film is a really powerful look at how a community can suffocate you and the hidden corners young people have to find just to be themselves in so many European towns, even with all the progress we've seen lately. The whole story plays out while the town is bracing for a massive, raging flood, and you just can't shake the feeling that some kind of intense reckoning or unavoidable doom is headed their way. To be honest, I didn't go in with super high expectations, but the way it’s put together makes it a seriously compelling watch. Plus, it’s not every day you get to see an LGBT-themed movie coming out of Croatia! The story follows Marko, a popular 18-year-old kid who seems to have it all—he’s got a girlfriend, he’s a competitive arm wrestler, and he’s well-liked at school. When he isn't in class, he’s usually hanging out with his brother, who has a disability, or helping his mom out in her greenhouse. Everything gets flipped upside down when a guy named Slaven ...
I recently checked out another one of Gareth Thomas’s documentaries, and this one apparently came out shortly after he decided to share some big news. It’s a pretty intense and emotional look at the rugby star finally going public about living with HIV. He’s very open about how keeping his health a secret for so long pushed him into a dark place, dealing with depression and even some really scary thoughts about ending his life. The film follows him as he leans on his family, doctors, and other people in the HIV community to try and tear down the old myths and stigma that still surround the condition today.
The whole thing kicks off with the actual video Gareth posted to announce his diagnosis to the world. His main goal here seems to be changing how people think about HIV by fighting against prejudice and raising awareness. He spends a good chunk of the film talking to medical experts to show the audience that, with modern treatment, the virus isn't something to be terrified of anymore. He learns—and shows us—that by staying on his meds, he can live a totally normal life and basically has zero chance of passing the virus on to anyone else. We get to see him coming out to his inner circle, and the climax of the doc follows him competing in an Ironman triathlon. He really wanted to prove that having HIV doesn't make him any less capable or strong than anyone else, basically shouting to the world that he’s okay.
Even though I totally get why a documentary like this is important, I couldn't help but feel like some parts were more about his own personal journey than for the people watching. This came out in 2019, and honestly, most of us have known for a long time that HIV isn't the death sentence it was in the 80s or 90s. Watching him react to medical facts like he was hearing them for the first time felt a little scripted and forced to me. I know they're trying to educate the public, but it felt like they leaned a bit too hard into making it a "sob story." The best parts for me were definitely the raw moments with his friends and seeing him push through that Ironman race. I really wish they would have interviewed his long-term partner, who is HIV-negative; hearing his perspective on their life together and how the diagnosis affected their relationship would have added a lot more depth.
It's a meaningful look at a massive life change for a famous athlete, but it feels a bit dated and overly dramatic given how much the world has already learned about the subject. (5/10)
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