FAUCI — John Hoffman and Peter Staley Interview

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John Hoffman and Peter Staley talk science, politics, and telling the truth.

When I spoke with John Hoffman and Peter Staley about their film, FAUCI, on September 12, 2021, it seemed only right that the first thing I asked was if Dr. Fauci himself was okay with them traveling in support of the documentary. Spoiler alert: of course he was, and it gave co-director Hoffman the chance to point out that it would only be shown in theaters that adhered to guidelines that include wearing a mask and showing proof of vaccination.

The film is a vivid portrait of the man who heads up the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. His distinguished career of 50+ years has been bookended by the two most devastating epidemics of our time, AIDS and COVID-19. In between, he faced the threat of an Ebola outbreak in the United States, and by listening to his sharpest critics in the gay community during the AIDS crisis, reshaped drug testing protocols, which laid the framework for how quickly a vaccine became available for COVID. Despite a White House that evinced a disdain for science.

Staley was one of those critics, and during our conversation, talked about how those early, contentious days, gave way to a friendship based on mutual respect and a drive to keep people alive.

Hoffman, Staley, and I went on to ponder the sticky relationship between science and politics; why Dr. Fauci’s personal politics aren’t addressed; and the pleasures and perils of distilling Dr. Fauci’s 80 years into a film of just a little less than 2 hours.

We finished up with getting behind the media savvy persona; traveling during a pandemic; respecting the virus; and the importance of art (including political theater) in troubled times.

Hoffman, a multiple award-winning documentarian, co-directed with Janet Tobias and his previous work includes SLEEPLESS IN AMERICA, FIRST IN HUMAN, and THE ANTIDOTE, a film that showcases the good side of humanity, about which I asked him towards the end of our interview. Staley was an integral part of ACT-UP and his activism during the AIDS crisis included not just protests, but also political theater that led him to drape a giant condom over the home of Republican Senator Jesse Helms. Remembering that is also part of the interview.

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FAUCI — John Hoffman and Peter Staley Interview

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