Dr James Curran, mostly known for his work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 1980's, pinpoints several key events and persons linked with the very first years of discoveries on HIV and AIDS.

This film tells the US story of the AIDS epidemic starting in the early 1980's. Scientists and activists, both pioneers and youths of today, talk about research, prevention, treatment and care. They also discuss stigma, homophobia and poverty as closely related to HIV and AIDS.

In the last part of the interview with Dr Anthony Fauci he reflects on the global HIV/AIDS situation and response. He also compares AIDS to other diseases such as the Bird Flu, and discusses the specific social and socioeconomic factors of HIV/AIDS.

French virologist and Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier reflects on the discovery of HIV, discusses disappointments and lessons learned along the way and the possibility of a vaccine, and gives advice for future AIDS researchers.

Sten Vermund from University of Alabama reflects on the history of the global AIDS epidemic and his involvement in the field as a young scientist in the 80's. He discusses the social and economic factors of HIV/AIDS, such as stigma, poverty and the drug industry.

Annual HIV research conference arranged by IHV. Dr Robert Gallo holds a lecture on the history of medical research on human retroviruses. He also talks about the early discoveries of t-cell leukemia in Japanese patients, which led to the discovery of HTLV-1.

Interview with George Louis, Professor and Director at the division of Vaccine and Research at the Initiative of Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore. He talks about the current HIV vaccine trials and reflects on the future.

Interview with Pathologist Christian Isichei, founder of the Faith Alive Hospital in Jos in Nigeria. He talks about the drug industry and access to ARV treatment in Africa and his experiences from the annual conference at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore.

Steve Gold, professor at John Hopkins University in the Department of Biological Chemistry, talks about the paradigms of the HIV/AIDS research fields.