A Capital In Crisis: Showtime Documentary “The Other City” Explores The HIV/Aids Epidemic In Washington D.C.

By Bill Gorman – October 27, 2010

A CAPITAL IN CRISIS: SHOWTIME® DOCUMENTARY “THE OTHER CITY” EXPLORES THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN WASHINGTON D.C.

To Premiere In Honor of World AIDS Day

Wednesday, December 1st at 7:30 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, CA – (October 27, 2010) – Washington D.C. is a place where power and policy intersect, yet in the shadows of the U.S. Capitol lies the reality of a very different city – a city visitors rarely see. Last year, it was reported that 3% ofWashington D.C.’s residents are living with HIV or AIDS. How does the capital of the most powerful country in the world become the home of the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the nation – rivaling some African countries? On Wednesday, December 1stat 7:30 PM ET/PT, in honor of World AIDS Day, SHOWTIME will premiere THE OTHER CITY, a documentary that believes politics, ideology, corruption and bureaucracy have led the HIV/AIDS epidemic to grow out of control in Washington D.C., the city that is supposed to represent the best ideals of the United States of America.

THE OTHER CITY tells the stories of Washington D.C. citizens who have taken matters into their own hands and have not let the lack of government assistance stop them from pursuing effective treatment or from fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS every day. The individuals profiled include: J’Mia Edwards, a woman living with AIDS and fighting desperately to keep herself and her three young children from being thrown out of their home; Jose Ramirez, a young man who contracted the disease from a boyfriend – who didn’t disclose he was infected – but now, devotes his life to promoting HIV awareness among Hispanic teens; a one-time addict now living with AIDS, Ron Daniels saves lives by providing clean needles and helping drug users receive treatment; and finally, the staff of the AIDS hospice Joseph’s House struggles to provide solace to terminal patients’ last days, to deal with their own sense of loss, and their constantly declining funding.

The film is directed by Emmy®-and Peabody-winning filmmaker Susan Koch (“Kicking It”) and produced by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson. The co-producer is award-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas.

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