“HIV has been used by society as a form of scare tactics to promote safe sex, but they have failed to acknowledge the lived experience of those affected in the community. I felt that these dehumanizing narratives made it easy to create emotional detachments from the HIV-affected community.

I wrote this film to acts as a guide to those who must learn to live with this virus and accept themselves simultaneously. This story following an HIV-positive boy explores self-acceptance’s raw journey while highlighting the importance of support systems. The intention of PLUS is to build respect, empathy, and understanding around HIV and the people it has affected.”

Andrew J. Rodriguez is an Afro-Dominican filmmaker from The Bronx. He is an alumnus of SUNY Purchase, where he studied Film. Being a product of The Bronx, one of America’s cultural champions, his stories live in the nuanced, intersectional experiences of people of color. He writes stories of us that transcend beyond our identity while simultaneously embracing it.

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