1989 / 1990
AIDS trilogy

By Wieland Speck

Rosa von Praunheim’s 1990 documentary AIDS TRILOGIE reminds us of the needs unmet by state and society at a time when large parts of the gay population had already fallen victim to the epidemic. The situation in Berlin is presented in contrast with that in the United States, where horror gave way to anger and solidarity went far beyond sexual orientation and a shared experience of discrimination. This film is a radical snapshot of an unprecedented situation that turned hedonists into political activists and social workers. The lesbian community had to wait a long time for media attention that was not bad news. The 1995 broadcast of the TV film Kommt Mausi raus?, based on a screenplay by Angelina Maccarone and directed by Alexander Scherer, was a turning point and helped an entire generation come out. The film still enjoys cult status today. Similarly, the TV series Lindenstraße by Hans W. Geißendörfer sealed its cult status in the community with a first gay kiss in 1987.