i watched this film so long ago. it has and will always remained in my heart. margie schroeder september 2008

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...

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.