House of Numbers

House of Numbers

Deluxe DVD

R1 DVD

House of Numbers is a controversial documentary examining the state of HIV and AIDS research. It is superbly presented and tries to address the subject through interviews with major researchers in the field. The question of what exactly is HIV and AIDS sent Canadian filmmaker Brent Leung on a worldwide journey from the slums of South Africa where death is an everyday occurrence to interview researchers through medical establishments worldwide.

Despite the fact that AIDS has been the centre of health debate for some 30 years it is still little understood and there is much debate about treatment possible cures and government policies.

What I especially like about this documentary is that there is no one ideological focus. Leung has allowed all manner of experts, alternative, mavericks and activists to have their say. This approach is significant in that too often we are given a “media managed” view of the HIV/AIDS crisis where everyone agrees and a cure is in sight. In this challenging documentary we are presented with a myriad of debates and theories about AIDS including discussions about how it is acquired, tested, diagnosed, defined, treated and ultimately, hopefully, cured.

This is not an easy documentary, especially for anyone who has lost someone they have loved to AIDS. However it is a documentary that needed to be made. There has been so many people, for example for whom AZT has proved more disastrous that the disease itself that an informed discussion needs to be had. One of the most significant themes has been the ongoing debate about the relationship between HIV and AIDS even after so many years many scientists (and they are not just an eccentric few) do not believe the evidence is solid enough to prove HIV causes AIDS.

I think it is shocking that pressure has been placed on many film festivals to drop this documentary. Censorship of any form is to be condemned especially when the mainstream medical establishment is no closer to controlling AIDS than anyone else. Yes this is controversial and many people interviewed are at the “edge” of mainstream research, but does that mean they do not have a right to express their opinion, to discuss their research and offer up the results of years of work. I think not.

This is a well presented film which does not question the severity of the AIDS crisis nor the great tragedy that AIDS that occurs when someone is diagnosed with it. It does however critically examine the current medical debacle where the medical community seems to be working in the dark.

Whether you agree or not with the House of Numbers it is a film you must see.

The House of Numbers Deluxe DVD includes lots of extras. While the films is 89 minutes long, the special Deluxe Edition explores in greater depth and more exacting detail the issues raised in the Standard DVD. The Deluxe edition includes the film on one DVD and two special features discs !

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 6 of the digital and print edition of Synergy.

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