Let’s face it: we don’t always get around to discussing important issues like HIV/AIDS. So, how do we get word out, make some noise and get our friends together to have a real conversation? A movie night is a great way to get people together to experience the same story and then talk about it in a meaningful way!

Where Is It: Finding a Venue

No, you don’t have to own a movie theatre to show a movie. If you want to reach out to a lot of people, a great place to host it would be in your school auditorium or a classroom. Check with a teacher or a principal at your school to find out how to reserve a time and place. If talking to your whole school seems like too much, invite some friends over to your place for the night.

What to watch: The Right Movie

A movie night is nothing without a movie. There are a lot of movies out there about HIV/AIDS so take the time to research a few and then pick the one you think will make for the best experience, discussion, etc. Once you’ve found the movie, head over to your local library or rental store and pick it up. Here are some suggestions that will definitely spark conversation:

Philadelphia(1993), is the story of an HIV positive lawyer fired for his diagnosis. He goes on to fight the system and changes the views of a new found friend along the way.

Longtime Companion (1990), was one of the first movies about AIDS and is the story of patients and their struggles with the disease.

Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997), shows the struggles of becoming an Olympic diver and a troubling HIV diagnosis.

And the Band Played On (1993), the story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic and the political strife between the scientific community’s early fight with it.

Important: Make sure that if the movie is rated R or PG-13, you have permission for everyone to be watching it.

Get the Word Out: Letting people know…

Without people at your movie night, you would be talking to yourself. Take time to think about how big you want your event to be. Do you want to get your whole community involved? Make posters and flyers letting people know what movie you’re watching, where it is and when it’s happening. Also let them know that there will be discussion afterwards. Hang them up and hand them out around school or in your community center. Let clubs and organizations know that it’s happening and they’ll tell their members for you. Or do you want something on a smaller scale? Invite friends by e-mail, phone or word of mouth, but let them know that the movie night will be a place for serious and honest discussion.

A Smooth Talk: How to host a discussion…

So the movie is over and you’re sitting in a room full of people. What next? In order to start things off, always have a list of questions prepared that relate to the movie. Watching the movie on your own before hand or finding a summary online can give you some ideas. Here are some sample questions:

• Who are the main characters?
• What are their struggles?
• What aspects of this movie relate to the topic of HIV/AIDS?
• What sides of the issue does the movie focus on?
• What do you think the director/screenwriter wants the audience to take away from this movie?
• After watching this movie, how do you feel about HIV/AIDS? Has your opinion changed?
• What can we do about this issue in our specific community? What resources do we have?

Also, take a moment to think about how you want your conversations to be structured. Do you want to have everyone sitting in a big circle and let people voice their opinions without a moderator? Or maybe your audience should break into smaller groups and then share with everyone else later. What would be the best format for what you’re trying to accomplish and for the size of your event?

If you feed them, they will come: Providing for a hungry audience…

A good way to get people to stick around, whether in your school gym or your living room, is food! Arrange for there to be some kind of snack and drink (cookies and juice work great!) at your event. If it’s a small gathering with friends, make it a potluck where everyone brings a snack, drink or condiment for all to enjoy—that way you won’t end up dishing out too much cash.

After the credits roll: Following Up

The movie is done and discussion has died down. Before everyone goes home for the night, give them the option to leave their name and e-mail if they’ve been inspired to do something about HIV/AIDS. Be respectful of their privacy—don’t share their contact info, be honest about how you’ll use it and then stick to that. Hopefully you’ll end up with a list of people who are equally interested about the cause and who you can team up with for a project. Let us know how it goes in the Hot Projects section of the Do Something website and add “movie nights” to your list of ways to raise awareness about any cause.