Too Close for Comfort (film)

Too Close for Comfort is a Canadian docudrama short film, directed by Peg Campbell and released in 1990.[1] Created as an educational film about HIV/AIDS, the film explores the effects on a group of high school students when one of them is involuntarily outed as HIV-positive.[2]

Too Close for Comfort
Directed byPeg Campbell
Produced byGay Hawley
Written byGay Hawley
Cindy Leaney
StarringStephen Fanning
Peter Stebbings
Edited byBill Campbell
Production
company
Wild Ginger Productions
Distributed byCanadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre
Release date
  • December 1, 1990 (1990-12-01) (Vancouver)
Running time
25 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The film stars Stephen Fanning as Nick, a high school basketball player who is fired from his after-school job at a video store when his boss is informed of his HIV status. As the information spreads, some of Nick's friends immediately reject him because they incorrectly assume that he is gay; however, some of his other friends rally around him and start to work on an educational video about HIV and homophobia, inserting the film's educational component as they interview real people living with HIV about the disease.[3] The film also simultaneously follows the progression of David (Peter Stebbings) from being the person who first tipped off their friends about what happened at the video store, through joining the filmmaking project, to revealing that he has himself been struggling with internalized homophobia around his own sexuality.[3]

The film premiered at the Pacific Cinémathèque on December 1, 1990.[4] It was subsequently distributed for use in schools, along with a study guide on HIV and anti-homophobia education.[1] An extended version of the film's documentary component was also separately released in 1991 under the title Eric's Video.[5]

The film won the TVOntario Prize for Best Youth Documentary at the 1992 Banff Television Festival.

References
  1. Alexandra Juhasz and Catherine Gund, AIDS TV: Identity, Community, and Alternative Video. Duke University Press, 1995. ISBN 9780822316954. pp. 293-294.
  2. "Reaction of teens disturbs film-maker". Vancouver Sun, November 30, 1990.
  3. "A fast half-hour of stereotype-busting". Vancouver Sun, April 27, 1991.
  4. "Keeping an eye on the dark side: Filmmaker Peg Campbell has turned her camera on wife assault, racism and street kids. Her latest focus is an educational film about AIDS". The Globe and Mail, December 1, 1990.
  5. Alex Spence, Gay Canada: A Bibliography and Videography, 1984-2008. University of Saskatchewan.


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