Iterations of Love: Tender Films on HIV

Featuring “The Mountain” by Eric Rhein and “Blind Angels” by Umbreen Butt. 

During Mana Contemporary Fall Open Studios. Sunday, October 19th, 2-4 PM. Monira Cinema (1st floor)

Mana Contemporary, in collaboration with the Monira Foundation and Hudson Pride Center, is eager to showcase the work of two talented artists: Eric Rhein and Umbreen Butt. 

Eric Rhein’s film The Mountain is a narrated memoir of his 1991 climb up a mountain, both physical and metaphorical, the ascent as well as the challenge of truth-telling in the midst of the AIDS crisis. 

And Umbreen Butt, whose documentary series, Blind Angels, profiles queer HIV activists in the American South fighting for health justice and joy in their communities–working at the forefront of HIV prevention, treatment, and care with little public acknowledgement or support.

By weaving together the history of someone who lived through the height of the AIDS crisis with the ongoing realities of impacted communities, these films honor the lives and struggles of the past while shedding light on how the epidemic persists in overlooked regions, demanding attention, empathy, and action. 

Moderated by Ted Kerr, writer and organizer whose work focuses on the HIV/AIDS community and culture, and guest panelist Elvis Guiracocha, community health projects manager from Hudson Pride Center.