Forty years ago a mysterious new illness, first reported by the US public health agency CDC in June 1981, was given the name AIDS. In the weeks and months that followed more and more fell ill and died, leading to at least 32 million lives being lost in the 40 years up to today. In 1983, the causative virus was discovered, which has been called HIV since 1986. For four decades, the infection and disease have been part of the reality of life, with the effects having been documented on the screen or in books many times. Early films are sure to leave an impression, including Rosa von Praunheim’s 1…

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