"Portraits of People Living with AIDS" is an interactive documentary installation / CD-ROM that introduces participants to four people living with AIDS -- a male painter, a female activist, a male inner-city AIDS counselor, and a female college student. A participant sits in front of a computer terminal and accesses video clips of interviews, artwork, opinions, and daily routines grouped around conversations with each person. Topics as in all conversations, are far ranging. The participant moves from portrait to portrait at their own pace allowing a more comfortable approach to this difficult topic. Users of the interactive documentary have the opportunity to make a personal contribution to the piece by leaving their own digital video message (via a video camera and digitizing board on the computer kiosk). A user might want to address one of the four people portrayed in the piece, other viewers, or simply post a general question or comment about AIDS.

AIDS awareness and education groups have done a phenomenal job of compiling and distributing the facts about HIV and must be applauded. Yet, the task of educating a community about the threat AIDS still poses our society does not end with the distribution of factual pamphlets and medical assertions on the nature of the virus. Individuals tend to acquire information more quickly if they can relate to material in a personal way. Personalizing AIDS information and making it a part of our lives is a basis for AIDS education today. "Portraits of People Living with AIDS" operates as a focal point for our on going dialog of AIDS awareness as it involves end users a rare opportunity to have a voice in the evolution of a documentary.

"Portraits of People Living with AIDS" recognizes AIDS as a human condition requiring human understanding.