Frames of Isolation. A Reading Through HIV/AIDS Documentaries

The question is: how can a documentary create social impact on its audience and, in turn, on society? Film critics and social scientists have considered this question since the inception of documentary filmmaking. Moreover, in the context of disseminating knowledge about infectious diseases, particularly during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, documentaries played a significant role in educating the public about the disease. Following the epidemic, documentaries were used to understand the disease and to witness the lives of people living with the virus. This article further extends the discourse of documentary studies by critically analysing two specific HIV/AIDS documentaries, 5B (2018) and Desert Migration (2015). This analysis provides insight into how the frames of the moving image capture the isolated spaces occupied by people with HIV/AIDS. For this study, Edward Branigan’s concept of frames is adopted to explore the essence of isolation. This is achieved by examining frames captured by the filmmakers through the camera lens, with a focus on the immediate surroundings of the person being interviewed. The article refers to these frames as “Frames of Isolation,” as the images reflect the spatial and emotional isolation associated with the virus.