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Thanks to Hank

Country: USA, Language: English, 71 mins

Gay | Documentary | 2019

Director: Bob Ostertag
Writer: Bob Ostertag
Producer: Bob Ostertag

CGiii Comment

Possibly, long-overdue...but, Hank Wilson has been given the recognition - without any quibble whatsoever - he deserves.

A selfless man...who neither judged nor discriminated. He helped, he made a difference...how many of us can say that? Please...take time to meet this man. Nothing was beyond his remit...he took on everything, whether it was housing, support, respect, respite, remembrance...or, holding a hand when the last breath leaves. He did it. He did it all...and, now, his friends, pay their respects. It's oh-so-very moving.

Lea DeLaria makes a [very] salient point, one that is very rarely mentioned [obviously, out of shame]...but, during those horrific [early] days of the AIDS epidemic, the gay community let the gay community down...people turned their backs. Hank Wilson didn't.

Y'know...this happened to us [of a certain age]. Now, during these Covid-times...people are dying, Governments are lying...and, [too] too many [Angela Merkel] are concerned about football resuming. What!?! PEOPLE ARE DYING!

Hey...let's take a leaf out of Hank Wilson's book...let's care!

And, finally, thank you...to you, Bob Ostertag, for sharing.

Trailer...

Thanks to Hank Trailer from Bob Ostertag on Vimeo.

The(ir) Blurb...

If you’ve ever done anything political and gay in San Francisco—including attend a film at Frameline—you’ve been touched by the life and work of Hank Wilson. In this loving tribute to a man who radically altered LGBTQ+ life and rights in the Bay Area, audiences are gifted an impactful and informative glimpse of history marked by Hank’s uncompromising vision, activism, and organizing.

Brought to life with archival footage, animation, and interviews with collaborators and friends—Tom Ammiano, Lea DeLaria, Donna Lisa Stewart, Gerry Kirby, and Blackberri to name only a few—this sweeping documentary uncovers the stunning impacts of Hank’s efforts that can still be felt today in AIDS service and queer youth organizations, cultural outlets, and local politics.

Capturing four decades of Hank’s work centering on the most marginalized in the community, director Bob Ostertag has created a touching homage that ensures audiences will not only come to know Hank’s legacy but also come to love the warm and relentless nature of a man who ignited immeasurable change.

— SOPHIA LANZA-WEIL