And the Band Played On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UGLZXEJoyo
Year Published:  1993
Resource Type:  Film
Cx Number:  CX16887

The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

Abstract: 
This is the story of the first years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and focuses on three key elements. Dr. Don Francis, an immunologist with experience in eradicating smallpox and containing the Ebola virus, joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to try and understand just what this disease is. They also have deal with bureaucracy and a government that doesn't seem to care. Secondly, the gay community in San Francisco is divided on the nature of the disease but also what should be done about it. Finally, the film deals with the rivalry between Dr. Robert Gallo, the American virologist who previously discovered the first retrovirus and his French counterpart at the Pasteur Institute, Dr. Luc Montagnier, that led to disputed claims about who was first to identify the AIDS virus. 141 mins.