The Human Race
Robert Houston, director.
USA, 1997, 35mm, 103 min.

On July 2nd, 1997, eleven HIV+ men set out on the sloop Survivor to compete in the 2000 mile Trans-Pacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii, and filmmaker Robert Houston tagged along to document the challenges these men faced. Co-captain Robert Hudson envisioned entering the race as a way to prove that life doesn't end with an HIV+ diagnosis.

After enlisting seasoned competitive sailor John Plander as his fellow co-captain, the two men recruited around the world for HIV+ men (four of whom had full-blown AIDS) interested in testing the limits of their endurance. Along the way, the group discovered that sharing an HIV status didn't make them immune to the conflicts which beset every group collaborating on a difficult endeavour.

The Human Race documents the Survivor's journey from beginning to end: all the behind-the-scenes planning, the training sessions, the high-seas drama that unfolded during the ten-day race, and the final struggle for the finish line. An inspirational film!

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