Acclaimed AIDS Documentary Sparks Discussion Between Survivors and Younger Gays

The terrifying early years of the AIDS epidemic and how it ravaged San Francisco are the focus of the affecting documentary We Were Here.

While the topic might seem familiar, thanks to festival screenings earlier this year the documentary has helped spark a dialogue between those who lived through the period and a younger generation of gay men who are often afraid to ask about it. Director David Weissman said the filming was an emotional experience. "We cried pretty much every day in the editing room, but there was a point where we realized we weren't crying at sadness, we were crying at beauty," the veteran filmmaker told The Advocate. "Partly the beauty that was being expressed on-screen but partly a realization of what it might generate, the healing capacity of the film."

We Were Here will open in limited release September 9.

Watch the trailer below.