Daria Hazuda from MSD explains the virology of HIV and talks about the past clinical studies on ARV, in particular integrase inhibitors, which she has been involved in. She also reflects on HIV as an exceptional virus and how to influence a new generation of HIV researchers.

Gary Nabel, from the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) talks about engaging the scientific community and health personnel in HIV research and about the importance of international conferences to create these kinds of collaborations.

Marc Girard who is the general director of the Mérieux Foundation, talks about Cent Gardes and the collaboration between France and the USA, mainly represented by the Pasteur Institute and NIH, and about why HIV is such a complicated virus to find a vaccine for.

Luc Montagnier talks about the complex virology of HIV which makes the AIDS vaccine development so difficult. He also talks about the economic and cultural advantages of using traditional medicine as a part of the ARV therapy in developing countries.

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.

Robin Weiss, a British Molecular Biologist and Professor of Viral Oncology at University College London, talks about the scientific contribution of small countries like Sweden, interdisciplinary collaborations in HIV research and HIV vaccines.

Dr Luc Montagnier and Dr Lars Olof Kallings in Montagnier’s office and laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. They talk about the HIV virus and the difficulties and possibilities of finding effective antiretroviral drug combinatoions in the future.