Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)

Telling the story of the NAMES Project Memorial Quilt, this film focuses on the stories of 5 individuals featured on the quilt, told through recollections by family and loved ones. I’ve seen exhibits of the Quilt and witnessed people seeing their loved one’s panel for the first time. It’s a powerful and emotional experience, as is watching this documentary. It doesn’t hide from its duty to provide the history, the negligence, and the awfulness that occurred during the early days of the epidemic, but it remains dedicated to showing the real humans living and dying with this horrible disease.

Oscar Win: Best Documentary, Features