The Heart of the Matter

Shot on 16 mm by a women-led crew, ‘The Heart of the Matter’ boldly confronts the silence surrounding women and AIDS through the voices of HIV-positive women and the personal journey of activist Janice Jirau. Exposing how race, gender, class, and religion intersect to magnify risk, the film pulsates with urgency. Winning Sundance’s Freedom of Expression Award and screening at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival, the documentary became a model for activist filmmaking and a catalyst for real-world policy change. (FR)