NYFF AT 51 REVIEW: "WHAT NOW? REMIND ME"
BY LIZ WHITTEMORE
Most people who become ill want to keep to themselves. Maybe they will hold themselves up. Sit in the dark, wither in their misery. Joaquim Pinto does the opposite. What Now? Remind Me is a year in the life of a man who has had HIV and HVC for almost 20 years. Joaquim and his husband Nuno document his umpteenth foray in unapproved treatment. The effects both neurologically and physically are astounding. Joaquim shares his day to day routine with his sometimes incoherent narrative. Along the way we learn of the other filmmakers and friends whose lives had been taken by these diseases. We watch Nuno give Joaquim his treatments and in turn the aftermath of such a commitment. They are determined not to let this ruin their lives. They own land and four large rescue dogs who are very much their own characters in this film. They grow their own food and still work as sound editors for various projects. They do their best to keep going, no matter the obstacles.
Their choice is music for this documentary is jarring in a wonderful way. With artist like WHOMADEWHO, Jacques Ibert, and Ludwig Van Beethoven, the eclectic fashion of the narrative is very successful. The handheld and POV shots really put you in the shoes of both Nuno and Joaquin, throughout. The film is a combination of diary entries, photographs and medical history. But it also a love story. One between lovers and friends past and present. While the film may be a bit lengthy, it is still an interesting picture of what most of us will never understand; what’s it’s like to be living with HIV while hanging on to normalcy.
VERDICT: On The Fence
Written and Directed by: Joaquim Pinto Featuring/ Sound/ Edited by: Joaquim Pinto and Nuno Leonel Country: Portugal Language: Portuguese (English Subtitles) Run Time: 164 minutes Content Advisory: Language and Explicit Sexual Content
BOTTOM LINE: You will learn the struggles of a modern day epidemic. If you have a short attention span, this is not your film.