The Lazarus Effect

The Lazarus Effect documents the successful treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in Africa. Directed by Lance Bangs and produced by Spike Jonze, the film focuses on the positive impact of free antiretroviral drug therapy on patients across the continent.

Filmed in Zambia, the documentary follows several infected individuals and details their continued improvement after beginning free antiretroviral drug therapy. Interviewees recount their experiences before and after treatment, including the stigma associated with an AIDS diagnosis and the positive effects the drugs have had within a few months.

The Lazarus Effect, named after the Biblical story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, highlights the work of relief groups that have provided free antiretroviral drugs to millions of people in Africa. Viewers are introduced to severely ill patients, but by the film’s end, the same individuals appear revived and transformed.