Aids: The Unheard Tapes

Forty years ago, a mysterious disease first appeared in Britain's gay community. As the Aids crisis grew, a group of pioneering researchers began recording audio interviews with infected gay men and their friends. The stories of men including David, Pete, John and Tony, recorded at the time, are lip-synched by actors, giving first-hand insight into their lives

A look at how the government educated the nation about Aids amid rising rates of infection, with dedicated hospital wards providing a haven, but deaths continued increasing in the gay community. The stories of men including Jeremy, John, Martyn and Tony recorded at the time bring these experiences to life, with their words lip-synced by actors, giving first-hand insight into how they tried to adapt to their lives as part of the `Aids generation' and struggled with the deaths of those they loved

In a blaze of hope, the first drug to be believed to prolong the lives of those with HIV infections is hailed as a potential ‘miracle cure'. Trials are underway and hopes are high. But soon, severe and debilitating side effects begin to show themselves, and many of those participating in the trials become desperately sick. The results of the failed AZT trials are released in 1993 and provoke backlash against drug companies and sometimes the doctors and nurses caring for Aids patients.