It’s all about reaching the finish line at this point. Whatever that means and whatever that brings…

When I began the process of making this film five years ago, I had envisioned a much smaller, shorter film. Perhaps it would have been better if I had stuck to that plan.  Now we are looking at a 1hour 50minute rough cut of the entire film that tackles this issue in much more mature manner than I ever could have imagined. I credit that mostly to my own personal growth. It is amazing how much you can change over time. To see the reflection of that growth in  your art is quite humbling.

I never set out to make a film exclusively about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among African Americans. The news does a pretty good job of reporting the scary stats. I wanted to focus on the work: Who was doing it and what makes them so different from those who are not doing so much?  However, once production began, there were many outside influences that really allowed TGOH to take shape.

Ultimately, ‘The Gospel of Healing’ is  a reflection of the times that we live in. The waves of trauma from the global economic downturn of 2008 washed ashore and crippled more than the banks: It has financially ransacked AIDS advocacy groups, service providers, churches and African American families alike. I know very few people who are lucky enough to have remained untouched by it . Enter:’Obama-care.’  The Affordable Care Act, after all of the drama that came with it, offers a glimmer of hope for the future of our health care system in the United States. It is also a testament to how desperate these times really are. Did you ever think access to health care for all Americans would be so elusive to so many? Or, that after the U.S. has spent billions the distribute AIDS drugs in Africa through PEPFAR combined with the amazing work of other nonprofit global initiatives that we would fall short on domestic funding for AIDS Drugs Assistance Program in so many states?  All of this has made a lasting impression on the film and our approach to it.

The first American American President was just a sweet idea when we began production. Similarly, Facebook had not completely cemented it’s role as our ‘public square.’ The iPad did not exist. This new web site is a vision of this project’s completion. We hope you find it more interactive–as it allows for viewing on multiple screentypes, easier social media intergration, user sharing and much more multimedia content (videos, transcripts, interviews, images). And we hope the content that is presented here  showcases all that we experienced and learned  as we have tried to weave this incredible story together.

Keeping checking back for more, as we look toward the release of the film next summer.  Stay tuned. I promise you, the final product will be worth the wait.

Paul Grant
Produer, Director, The Gospel of Healing