We Were Here (2011)
93%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 7 nominations
We Were Here revisits the crises facing the gay community in the early 1980s — and offers a powerful tribute to the inspiring resolve shown at a time of turmoil.
We Were Here is a documentary that will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate life all at the same time. It’s a powerful reminder of the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community faced during the AIDS epidemic, but it’s also a celebration of the resilience and strength of the human spirit. The film is beautifully shot and expertly crafted, with interviews that are both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. It’s a must-see for anyone who wants to understand the history of the LGBTQ+ community and the ongoing fight for equality. So grab some tissues and get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions!
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, The Coppola Company, American Zoetrope
Distributor
Red Flag Releasing
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th Street, San Francisco, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2012
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
Documentary, Biography, LGBTQ+, San Francisco, AIDS epidemic, Gay community, Love and loss, Five men and women, Director David Weissman, Director Bill Weber, Produced by David Weissman, Starring Paul Boneberg, Starring Ed Wolf, Starring Daniel Goldstein, Starring Guy Clark, Starring David Weissman, Box office performance, Budget, Reviewed by Monica Castillo, Reviewed by Melissa Anderson, Reviewed by Andrew Pulver, Reviewed by Paul Weedon, Reviewed by Dave Calhoun, Reviewed by Eve Barlow, Reviewed by David Lamble, Reviewed by Ellin Stein, Reviewed by Joseph Walsh, MPAA rating, Red Flag Releasing, Marsha Kahm, Archival footage, Photographs, Lesbian community, Randy Shilts, Personal stories, Front lines, Battle against AIDS
Worldwide gross: $1,873
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ed Wolf – self
Daniel Goldstein – self
Guy Clark – self
David Weissman – director
Bill Weber – director
Director(s)
David Weissman, Bill Weber
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
David Weissman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (46)
We Were Here does not move behind the scope of San Francisco, which I considered a benefit. It allows the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the story.
May 10, 2016
Monica Castillo
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
A simple, powerful act of bearing witness, We Were Here is a sober reminder of the not-too-distant past, when gays were focused not on honeymoon plans but on keeping people alive.
February 28, 2012
Melissa Anderson
L.A. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Even if, understandably, it’s a little inward-looking (the ongoing disaster in Africa gets barely a mention), as a slice of social history, We Were Here takes an invigoratingly positive position on a very gloomy time.
November 25, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Andrew Pulver
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
An honest, frank and often moving documentary that deals with its difficult subject matter sensitively and compellingly.
November 24, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Weedon
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
[A] sober, devastating film about how we all – and some more than others – have to deal with the most unexpected horrors in our lives.
November 22, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A moving look behind the curtain of a rarely-explored community.
November 20, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Eve Barlow
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The best film effort to date that can unite the generations until there’s a cure
June 10, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
This powerful, affecting film should help ensure that by remembering the past we will not be condemned to repeat it.
May 27, 2020
Ellin Stein
The Arts Desk
A must-see, and not just for its subject matter. This potent documentary is a brave statement by those involved in its making, released in a time when public attitudes to homosexuality and the AIDS virus are still loaded with fear and ignorance.
December 5, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Joseph Walsh
CineVue
Though the topic is sad, We Were Here is a tribute to the heroism of those who stepped up to help, and to the resilience of the gay community itself.
March 15, 2017
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Gay & Lesbian News
We Were Here ultimately serves as a tribute — not only to those who are no longer with us, but also to those who crossed the minefield and emerged as survivors, storytellers and heroes.
March 30, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
…cinematographer Marsha Kahm has done a stellar job of zeroing in on the disparate visages whether revelling in the joy of a long-forgotten moment with a former partner or letting tears of ‘Why not me?’ come into unabashed focus.
March 2, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
James Wegg
JWR…
Plot
We Were Here’ is the first film to take a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco, and how the City’s inhabitants dealt with that unprecedented calamity. It explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all – the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and of community coalescence and empowerment. Though this is a San Francisco based story, the issues it addresses extend not only beyond San Francisco but also beyond AIDS itself. ‘We Were Here’ speaks to our societal relationship to death and illness, our capacity as individuals to rise to the occasion, and the importance of community in addressing unimaginable crises.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
We Were Here features interviews with five men and women who experienced the AIDS epidemic firsthand.
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