Life support on HBO

Inspired by a true story, this HBO Films presentation uses a mix of actors and real people from the HIV/AIDS community to tell the story of an HIV-positive Brooklyn woman named Ana (Queen Latifah), who channels her energy and regret over past drug addiction into working for Life Support, an AIDS outreach group. When Kelly's HIV-infected gay friend Amare (Evan Ross) disappears, Ana, looking to connect with her daughter while helping a lost soul, throws herself into searching for him. She embarks on a dangerous but necessary journey, and as she seeks to save one life and heal another, Ana learns a poignant lesson about loving and letting go.

Premiere Saturday March 10 at 8PM. Click here to watch preview.

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About Life support in the Washington Times

"Black women are the No. 1 people getting [the disease], and I wanted to create a film that would give black women a voice," said Nelson George, producer and writer of "Life Support." The multigenerational story is based on Mr. George's real-life experiences with his sister, Andrea Williams. She is a recovering drug addict who has been living with the virus for a decade, and who became an activist in a community service organization in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Life Support.
This project began as a way to deal with "the fears my family had," Mr. George said. However, "She evolved and gained knowledge ... and what we thought was a negative thing that would destroy her and be tragic for us turned to a positive, and she became focused and centered, and this was good and inspirational."
Mr. George, along with actress Gloria Reuben, will attend at the D.C. screening of "Life Support" tonight sponsored by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. It was released at the Sundance Film Festival in January and debuts March 10 on HBO.
"The purpose of this [film] is to reignite the dialogue about this virus," he said.
Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, which publishes a report card on the D.C. government's ability to deal with HIV/AIDS, spoke on the film. Though he has seen only trailers for "Life Support," Mr. Smith said that "the more that's out there [about HIV/AIDS] the more people will know. ... Leaders across the board have to speak out." In our past conversations, Mr. Smith often suggested that the biggest problem in eradicating HIV/AIDS is the community's unwillingness to talk about the disease.
"There has to be more frank, public talk about this issue at the highest levels," Mr. Smith said. "It's a sad situation. Some of it is so closeted that some people would rather die than get tested."

Read the article A breath of fresh dialogue in HIV/AIDS fight, by Adrienne Washington.