Sharon Lewin, Australian Infectious Disease physician and researcher, talks about the advances in HIV research and challenges for the future.

XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Ending of a panel session on the vaccine trials of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). Seth Berkley, Alan Bernstein and Omu Anzala respond to questions from the audience.

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.

The primary focus of this documentary is on the history of how the AIDS epidemic started in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York in 1981. Many different stories are told about people affected or surrounded by HIV and AIDS in the early years of the epidemic.