UNITED IN ANGER: A HISTORY OF ACT UP STUDY GUIDE

UNIT 1: HISTORICIZING ACT UP

Unit Summary
In this unit, we will think about what it means to create “a” history of ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).  We will see that historicizing the movement is a complex endeavor that involves much more than documenting the past.  Rather, in watching United in Anger, we confront decisions about what gets remembered, whose stories get told, how the past is preserved, and why.

The objectives of Unit 1 are:

  • To define and discuss United in Anger as a documentary film

  • To explore the artistic choices made by the filmmakers about how to tell the history of ACT UP 

  • To reflect on various audiences’ relationships to the film     

Making Connections: The Mission of United in Anger
The homepage for United in Anger: A History of ACT UP provides a description of the film.  It reads:

 “United in Anger: A History of ACT UP is an inspiring documentary about the birth and life of the AIDS activist movement from the perspective of the people in the trenches fighting the epidemic. Using oral histories of members of ACT UP, as well as rare archival footage, the film depicts the efforts of ACT UP as it battles corporate greed, social indifference, and government neglect.”

The words in bold, “documentary,” “oral history,” and “archival footage,” are important for understanding how and why United in Anger chose to remember the history of ACT UP.  The Discussion Sections will help you examine those choices.

 But first, to further understand the creative history and context of United in Anger, read and watch the following biographies of and interviews with director/producer Jim Hubbard and producer Sarah Schulman:

  • Jim Hubbard interview with Adam Baran, editor of keepthelightsonfilm.com (print)

  • Sarah Schulman interview with Elvira Kurt for Xtra! Canada’s Gay and Lesbian News (video)

  • Hubbard and Schulman interview with Morgan Goode for prettyqueer.com (print)

  • Hubbard and Schulman interview with Alexandra Juhasz of DIVA TV (print)

  • Finally, a longer interview with Hubbard and Schulman from the Columbia University Center for Oral History (video; a bit hard to hear, but well worth it!)

Key Terms
ACT UP
ACT UP Oral History Project
archival footage
audience
documentary film
history
narrative film
oral history