House of Numbers (2009 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the 2009 documentary. For the 1957 crime drama, see House of Numbers (1957 film).
House of Numbers
movie poster image
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 (2009-06-21)
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."[3] 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]

Contents

Critical reception [edit]

Reviewers [edit]

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]

Scientific community [edit]

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]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Jacobs, Ethan (April 22, 2009). "Crazy 'House'". Bay Windows. Retrieved September 8, 2009. 
  2. ^ a b c Catsoulis, Jeanette (4 September 2009). "AIDS Seen From a Different Angle". New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009. 
  3. ^ a b c d Burki T (2009). "House of Numbers". Lancet Infect Dis 9 (12): 735. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70316-0. 
  4. ^ 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. Retrieved 2009-12-21. 
  5. ^ Ridley, Jim (2009-05-07). "Controversy lingers after premiere of Nashville director's AIDS documentary". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
  6. ^ Ridley, Jim (April 29, 2009). "For the Nashville Film Festival, there's clearly life after 40". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 8, 2009. 
  7. ^ "Capsule movie reviews". KDVR. August 21, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2009. [dead link]
  8. ^ "Raindance Film Festival". Retrieved 2010-01-15. 
  9. ^ Hall, Stan (January 21, 2010). "'House of Numbers' blurs facts on HIV". Portland Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Retrieved May 10, 2010. 
  10. ^ AIDSTruth.org
  11. ^ 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. 
  12. ^ Bergman, Jeanne (September 10, 2009). "Real Answers to the Fake Questions in "House of Numbers"". Aidstruth.org. Retrieved September 22, 2009. 
  13. ^ Goldacre, Ben (September 26, 2009). "House of Numbers". The Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2009. 
  14. ^ "Constantine and Weiss pinpoint misrepresentations". Aidstruth.org. November 26, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009. 

External links [edit]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=House_of_Numbers_(2009_film)&oldid=548745236"