House of Numbers
| House of Numbers | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Brent Leung |
| Produced by | Brent Leung |
| Starring | Brent Leung |
| Music by | Joel Diamond |
| Editing by | Brent Leung Ursula Rowan |
| Release date(s) | 21 June 2009 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
House of Numbers is a controversial 2009 documentary film about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) produced and directed by Brent Leung.[1] Leung describes the film as an objective examination of the idea that HIV causes AIDS.[1] The film's claims of impartiality have generally been rejected by reviewers, who have dismissed the film as AIDS denialism and conspiracy theory disguised as objective examination.[2][3][4] Leung has declined to discuss funding for the film except to state that funders came from "all over the world".[1][5]
In the film, Leung interviews a range of scientists and AIDS denialists, including Christine Maggiore, an HIV-positive denialist whose 3-year-old daughter died of untreated AIDS. Maggiore herself died with pneumonia and several AIDS-related infections several months before the film's release, although her death is only mentioned in small print in the closing credits along with a claim that it was "unrelated to HIV." A group of scientists interviewed for the film later complained that they had been interviewed under false pretenses, and that the film promotes pseudoscience.[2]
[edit] Critical reception
The film's promotion of AIDS denialism rendered it controversial and "bitterly divisive".[6] A Denver Fox affiliate TV station described the film as poorly organized and unfocused, but presenting "a barrage of intriguing theories."[7] Promotional material for the Raindance Film Festival described the film as raising "a number of challenging and disturbing thoughts."[8]
The New York Times was more critical, describing the film as "a weaselly support pamphlet for AIDS denialists", "willfully ignorant", and "a globe-trotting pseudo-investigation that should raise the hackles of anyone with even a glancing knowledge of the basic rules of reasoning."[2] The Wall Street Journal cited the film as part of "this season's fashion in conspiracy theories."[4] The Portland Oregonian criticized Leung for "not being entirely honest with viewers," and decried the film's reliance on "selective editing, anomalies and anecdotes, unsupported conclusions... and suppression of inconvenient facts."[9]
Reaction from the scientific community was similarly negative. Lancet Infectious Diseases criticized the film's arguments, calling them a "toxic combination of misrepresentation and sophistry."[3] AIDSTruth.org,[10] a website created by HIV researchers to address AIDS denialism,[11] criticized the film for concealing its "agenda behind a false veneer of honest inquiry", and published a rebuttal to some of the film's claims.[12] Ben Goldacre, writing in The Guardian, described House of Numbers as "a dreary and pernicious piece of Aids denialist propaganda."[13]
Eighteen scientists interviewed in the film state that their answers to Leung's questions were selectively edited to convey a false sense that the scientific community disagrees on basic facts about HIV/AIDS.[3] Two interviewees, Neil Constantine and Robin Weiss, cite examples supporting the allegation that Leung misrepresented their words in a "surely intentional" manner.[14]
A panel discussion of the film at a Boston film festival was disrupted by Leung and by AIDS denialists in the audience, who attempted to shout down members of the panel with whom they disagreed.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Jacobs, Ethan (April 22, 2009). "Crazy 'House'". Bay Windows. http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=90259. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c Catsoulis, Jeanette (4 September 2009). "AIDS Seen From a Different Angle". New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/movies/04house.html. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ^ a b c Burki T (2009). "House of Numbers". Lancet Infect Dis 9 (12): 735. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70316-0. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2809%2970316-0/fulltext.
- ^ a b David Aaronovitch (2009-12-19). "A Conspiracy-Theory Theory. How to fend off the people who insist they know the 'real story' behind everything". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704238104574602042125998498.html. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ Ridley, Jim (2009-05-07). "Controversy lingers after premiere of Nashville director's AIDS documentary". Nashville Scene. http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/controversy-lingers-after-premiere-of-nashville-directors-aids-documentary/Content?oid=1200956. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ Ridley, Jim (April 29, 2009). "For the Nashville Film Festival, there's clearly life after 40". Nashville Scene. http://www.nashvillescene.com/2009-04-30/film/for-the-nashville-film-festival-there-s-clearly-life-after-forty/. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ "Capsule movie reviews". KDVR. August 21, 2009. http://www.kdvr.com/entertainment/la-et-capsules21-2009aug21,0,6959533.story. Retrieved September 8, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Raindance Film Festival". http://www.raindance.org/site/index.php?id=401,4439,0,0,1,0&highlight=house%20numbers. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
- ^ Hall, Stan (January 21, 2010). "'House of Numbers' blurs facts on HIV". Portland Oregonian (OregonLive.com). http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2010/01/review_house_of_numbers_blurs.html. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
- ^ AIDSTruth.org
- ^ Cohen J (2007). "HIV/AIDS. AIDSTruth.org Web site takes aim at 'denialists'". Science 316 (5831): 1554. doi:10.1126/science.316.5831.1554. PMID 17569834.
- ^ Bergman, Jeanne (September 10, 2009). "Real Answers to the Fake Questions in "House of Numbers"". Aidstruth.org. http://www.aidstruth.org/features/2009/real-answers-fake-questions-%E2%80%9Chouse-numbers%E2%80%9D. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ Goldacre, Ben (September 26, 2009). "House of Numbers". The Guardian. http://www.badscience.net/2009/09/house-of-numbers/. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "Constantine and Weiss pinpoint misrepresentations". Aidstruth.org. November 26, 2009. http://www.aidstruth.org/features/2009/constantine-and-weiss. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Inside House of Numbers, a website critical of the film, rebutting many of its claims
- House of Numbers at the Internet Movie Database
