The Dryden will screen Buddies (Arthur J. Bressan Jr., U.S. 1985, 81 min., DCP) as part of the ImageOut of the Archive series.

The first feature to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic, this film has recently been restored and re-released for the big screen. The story follows two gay men: Robert, who is dying of AIDS, and David, who pays him regular visits in the hospital, becoming his "buddy" as Robert deals with his illness. What starts out as very formal (David shows up in a surgical mask and gloves), becomes a close friendship as the two share histories and happier times, debate the gay liberation movement, and change each other's lives. Tragically, the director himself died from AIDS-related complications two years after the film was released.

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2018-Oct-1]