2023 Nominees

Aids: The Unheard Tapes

Wall to Wall Media, BBC, BBC iPlayer, Open University

UK

- History & Biography

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes is a 3-part documentary series which tells the story of the AIDS epidemic in Britain during the ‘80s and ‘90s andhow it affected the gay community. It was commissioned to mark the40th anniversary of the death of Terry Higgins, one of the first people in the UK to die from an AIDS-related condition. Its definitive, bold approach features previously unheard contemporaneous audio-testimony, lip synced by actors who closely resemble the originalinterviewees. Its aim is to bring the personal and emotional experiences of those first affected by AIDS in Britain to life,transporting us back in time to the moment when their voices were recorded.AIDS, ‘the gay plague’ affected many young men at a time when homophobia was rife. Few could be open about their sexualities or diagnosis’.Yet a small group of pioneering researchers set out torecord audio interviews with those with HIV and AIDS. Many did notexpect to survive and talked about their life stories with frank.