In the late 1980s, Silence=Death represented a grassroots movement to ensure that society was aware of AIDS. Over 30 years later, some parts of the world still struggle to acknowledge the reality of HIV. How to Tell a Secret is a beautiful and inspiring look at a small group of young people who are driven to tell the world what it’s like to live with HIV in Ireland.

Featuring first-person confessions about dealing with the disease from a diverse collection of individuals — including young men, migrant women, drag artists, and activists living with the disease — filmmakers Anna Rodgers and Shaun Dunne use theatrical recreations and captivating cinematic visions to capture the difficult but also inspiring lives of these courageous young people. This distinctive documentary hybrid combines real-world insights with pure poetic energy to build a vision that is intense and urgent. As they raise their voices against HIV and AIDS ignorance, the focused filmmakers create a captivating, inspired vision of a world that is open and ready to hear these stories.