How to Tell a Secret is a hybrid documentary film, by directors Anna Rodgers and Shaun Dunne, which uses experimental storytelling methods to represent the experiences of people who are HIV positive in Ireland today.
Based on dramatic material found in Rapids, a documentary theatre project by Dunne, it features contributions from people who have never spoken publicly about their HIV status before and who are using this film as a platform to come out for the first time.
From young men to migrant women, drag artists to activists, this documentary promises to take us through a myriad of experiences and stories capturing a modern perspective on life with the HIV virus.
Expanding the formal boundaries of documentary, this film moves from confessional style interviews, to staged performances and abstract reconstructions of lived experiences.
How to Tell a Secret also pays tribute to Thom McGinty aka The Diceman, one of the first public figures to talk about AIDS in Ireland who died in 1995. Drag performer Veda reinterprets the Diceman’s stunning, transgressive appearances on Grafton Street.
Check out our interview with Shaun Dunne about Rapids here.
How To Tell A Secret screened on Monday February 28th, 6:30pm, at the IFI, as part of the Dublin International Film Festival.
