Silverlake Life Back
About the Film
Mark Massi

A remarkable posthumous document, begun by filmmaker Tom Joslin and finished by his associate Peter Friedman, this multi-award-winning documentary traces the last years of Joslin and his lover Mark Massi, longtime companions and denizens of Los Angeles' Silverlake region, as they struggle with the ravages of AIDS in their bodies and everyday lives. An absolutely unique glimpse at the transformations undergone by the subjects and their relation to the world at large, the film also stands as a stirring testament to human resilience and love.

Excerpt
Silverlake Life Watch Clip 1 (High)
Watch Clip 1 (Low)

Unable to complete day-to-day activities, Tom vents his frustration to the camera.


Silverlake Life Watch Clip 2 (High)
Watch Clip 2 (Low)

The Epilogue to Silverlake Life - never before broadcast in the U.S.

Interview
Peter Friedman listen   download

Peter Friedman from his home in France, interviewed by Juan Devis, May 1, 2006

Biography

Peter Friedman is the founder of Strange Attractions, Inc., an independent film production company based in New York and Paris. Since 1984 he has directed and produced films which have received numerous awards, including the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, the LA Film Critics Award for Best Independent Film, a Peabody Award, the Prix Italia in Rome for Best Public TV Documentary Worldwide, and the Prix Europa in Berlin for Best Documentary Broadcast in Europe. His work has been nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award. His films include The Life and Times of Life and Times (1998), There are No Direct Flights from New York to Marseilles (1998), Death by Design (1995; named "One of the 10 Best Films of 1995" by Film Comment), Silverlake Life (1993; named "One of the 10 Best Films of the Year" by The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Boston Globe, and "One of the Best Films of the Decade" by Utne Reader and Village Voice), Fighting in Southwest Louisiana (1991), and I Talk to Animals (1991). Friedman has served on the juries of the FIPA Film Festival in Biarritz, France, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, and the Visions du Réel Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland.


(3)
  • Posted Sep 18, 2008
  • 09:54 AM
  • by bongozam
  • menifee, CA 
i watched this film so long ago. it has and will always remained in my heart. margie schroeder september 2008
  • Posted Oct 28, 2008
  • 10:02 AM
  • by SmartAssProducts.com
  • Los Angeles area, CA 
I saw "Silverlake Life" when it was first released, and I've seen the 'epilogue' version several times since then, and its impact never wears off. The first time I saw it I was heavily involved in HIV/AIDS education and treatment, volunteering as a counselor at an HIV/AIDS clinic. I was losing friends left and right to AIDS...and it was very difficult. "Silverlake Life" captured the feeling, the experiences of that time period when HIV was still, overall, a death sentence and people deteriorating and then dying from AIDS was a sad, but all too common, occurrence. I felt like I KNEW Tom and Mark, and to this day I think about them...
  • Posted Jan 05, 2009
  • 09:58 AM
  • by Mark_London
  • London, UK 
This documentary had quite an impact on me. It feels like we never speak of AIDS these days, especially since the development of medications in the late 1990's. Yet the new meds are not a cure and people still continue to die. Tom and Mark's story reminds us the we must NEVER FORGET those who have fallen to this terrible disease. One of the most poignant moments for me is when Mark is dancing in the living room. A moment when he appears to be free of his inhibitions and also the horrors that surrounded his every day life. For those of you who are curious, the song Take My Heart Away is sung by Johnny Clegg, and is taken from the 1988 album Shadow Man. I downloaded the single for iTunes, and every time I listen to it I will always think of Tom and Mark fondly. God bless them.
 
Visit PBS.org