The Last One

One of the most distinctive memorials in modern times was not built from stone or marble, but rather pieced together from fabric: the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which began in 1985 and has since grown to memorialize the names of more than 80,000 Americans who died from AIDS-related complications. Nadine C. Licostie's insightful Showtime-aired documentary traces the foundational history of the quilt project to Cleve Jones, a one-time intern for gay rights activist Harvey Milk and the co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Jones recalls the harsh stigma of the early 1980s that followed in the wake of the abrupt outburst of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, accompanied by a new wave of homophobia that threatened to erase what little civil rights progress for gays had been achieved in the post-Stonewall period. The sheer magnitude of the quilt coupled with the incredible diversity of its constituent panels offered a startling symbolism of both the depth and scope of the HIV/AIDS crisis, while the ability to fold up separate parts of the quilt to take on tour serves as a unique case of a memorial that is able to come to the people. One of the more upsetting aspects of The Last One is the acknowledgement that HIV/AIDS has not been wiped out—nearly 50,000 new cases are reported each year—and many diagnosed Americans are not taking medications to fight the disease, mainly due to the high costs of prescriptions. A powerful, moving film, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)