Raindance Film Festival Endorse AIDS Denialism
Posted by gimpy on October 4, 2009
Last month the editor of the New Humanist, Caspar Melville, magazine committed a sceptical faux pas and appeared to endorse some aspects of the documentary ‘House of Numbers’, a film whose purpose is to sow doubt where none exists on the theory that HIV causes AIDS.
Lets be absolutely clear. HIV causes AIDS – the science is certain, Nobel prizes, not baubles awarded when doubt remains, have been won . ‘House of Numbers’ is supportive of AIDS denialists, distorted the opinions of many interviewees, and presents utterly discredited researchers and journalists as holding valid opinions. ‘House of Numbers’ is bunk, a denialist film, it has nothing constructive to say, and it deserves to be nothing more than a footnote in the annals of human stupidity. Unfortunately it can seem convincing to an intelligent lay person.
Dr Melville is not an idiot, prone to taking irrational theories seriously or endorsing quackery yet he was fooled by a showing of ‘House of Numbers’ at the Cambridge Film Festival. With admirable candour, and some bravery in facing the blogosphere, Melville has explained in depth how and why he was fooled in two blog posts, here and here. As his blog posts show he is more than capable of understanding evidence and changing his opinions to fit with observable facts yet, like most of us, he can be persuaded by a convincing lie in an area that lies outside his comfort zone of knowledge.
This common tendency to be fooled is a robust argument against the uncritical promotion of AIDS denalist films such as ‘House of Numbers’. The consequences of being wrong about AIDS can be lethal. In South Africa, as a result of the endorsement of the discredited theories of Peter Duesberg, a contributor to ‘House of Numbers’, by the government of Thabo Mbeki, it is estimated that more than 300,000 people died unnecessarily.
Unfortunately film festivals have not done been careful in their coverage of ‘House of Numbers’. The Cambridge Film Festival made an attempt, as detailed in Melville’s blogs, to conduct a critical discussion afterwards but as Melville proves this was not enough to prevent false information from appearing convincing. It is hard not to disagree with Ben Goldacre that this was ‘attention-seeking smugness’ on the part of Cambridge Film Festival despite the explanations of organisers.
However, Raindance Film Festival have surpassed the smugness of Cambridge in their screening of ‘House of Numbers‘. Xavier Rashid, a programmer for Raindance is extremely proud of Raindance showing the film despite the protestations of scientists, lawyers, AIDS victims and others. In fact he is so proud he has offered it his full endorsement and is plugging it on the film’s Youtube channel.
Likewise Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance.
This goes far beyond the smug behaviour of Cambridge, at least they were willing to debate the film rather than endorse it. The atrocious behaviour of Raindance has now been compounded after criticism was made of their showing the film.
Ben Goldacre, using his common subjective ontological classification of cock-end or not, tweeted the following on Friday 2nd October.
Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance film festival, loves the Aids denialism: cock-end http://bit.ly/Btyd4
I retweeted this minutes later which was to be the start of a bizarre twitter exchange with @Raindance_Fest, the official twitter feed of the Raindance Film Festival, edited and presented at the foot of this page in reverse chronological order.
In this exchange, conducted with the usual decorum and subtlety of internet discourse and a 140 character limit, the lack of wisdom of Raindance was expressed as well as several links to sources of criticism of ‘House of Numbers’ and the dangers of AIDS denialism. Sadly @Raindance_Fest rather than engage in constructive debate opted for the tired old arguments of ‘if you haven’t seen it you can’t criticise it’, cited the blog of a disgraced ex-policeofficer who thinks the beating of Rodney King was justified before finishing it off with a potentially libellous allegation that sceptical author Richard Wilson (twitter user @dontgetfooled) was in the pay of ‘big US drug companies’. The last tweet on the subject from @Raindance_Fest following this exchange was this:
YouTube – House of Numbers reaction from Elliot Grove at Raindance http://bit.ly/2r1h4b
I think it is fair to conclude from this and the videos above that the Raindance have come out in firm support of ‘House of Numbers’, endorse AIDS denialism, have fallen prey to the delusions of conspiracy theorists and have contempt for their critics. This issue is more important though than merely being a matter of twitter commentary and idiotic artistic posturing. When asked for comment Richard Wilson made the following points:
Raindance are welcome to insinuate what they like about me on Twitter – what bothers me is the deadly damage which is done by perpetuating these tired old, long-debunked ideas about HIV and AIDS. We might have hoped that the media and artistic establishment would have learned their lesson by now – it does kind of feel like “Groundhog Day”. Back in the early 1990s Andrew Neil’s Sunday Times were being taken in by pretty much these same arguments [...] the damage caused by denial can’t always be undone. AIDStruth’s list of HIV-positive AIDS denialists who have died from the disease in the last few years makes for grim reading – my fear is that this list is only going to get longer until the media finally wises up to the real nature of AIDS denial.
The organisers of Raindance need to understand that their childish attempts at being artistic provocateurs are not big, not clever and certainly not something to be proud of. They are endorsing a theory that has killed hundreds of thousands and caused untold miseries to millions as described in ‘Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience & Human Tragedy’ by Seth Kalichman.. There is no scientific justification for ‘House of Numbers’ and it is an act of careless immorality to endorse it. I hope both Xavier Rashid, Elliot Grove and Raindance come to realise this.
Update
Raindance have linked to this blog post saying that:
Raindance founder Elliot Grove has been accused of being an AIDS Denialist (which he isn’t) because he dared to show House of Numbers despite over 100 thretening emails and legal letters.
I have made no such accusation against Mr Gove. My argument is that he, and Raindance, endorse AIDS denialism through their support for House of Numbers.
Twitter Exchange with @Raindance_Fest
dontgetfooled .@Raindance_Fest …but if you want sordid big pill-pusher AID$ escapades, try this for size: http://tr.im/AyAY @gimpyblog @dnotice about 19 hours ago from web dontgetfooled @Raindance_Fest Damnit Damnit, how did you guess? …It’s a fair cop – me and @gimpyblog are all part of the conspiracy about 19 hours ago from web
jdc325 Fluffy Mike’s comment: http://bit.ly/3Lm34q on @Raindance_Fest & House of Numbers about 22 hours ago from web
gimpyblog Onto big pharma conspiracy theories now. you really are clueless. RT @Raindance_Fest: @dontgetfooled – the big US Drug companies love U! about 22 hours ago from TweetDeck
Raindance_Fest @dontgetfooled dontgetfooled .@raindance_fest Harvard says AIDS denial caused 300,000 deaths in S Africa – the big US Drug companies love U! about 22 hours ago from web gimpyblog @Raindance_Fest for goodness sake, you could learn from Caspar Melville of @NewHumanist on when to stop digging holes http://bit.ly/Rti0r 1 day ago from TweetDeck dontgetfooled .@raindance_fest Harvard says AIDS denial caused 300,000 deaths in S Africa – or did that holocaust not happen either? http://tr.im/AwWg 1 day ago from web dontgetfooled @raindance_fest Charmed… Did you look that up or do you have some kind of DIY ‘holistic wisdom’ generator as your screensaver? @gimpyblog 1 day ago from web dontgetfooled @gimpyblog Clark Baker – great source; next they’ll be giving us Rwandan genocide/AIDS denier Chris Black: http://tr.im/AwUn @raindance_fest 1 day ago from web
si_streetworks @Raindance_Fest HIV AIDS denialist campaigns have contributed to well over 300,000 deaths in SA, the documentary is propoganda not science. 1 day ago from web si_streetworks @Raindance_Fest That’s not how science progresses. If there’s evidence that contradicts the HIV AIDS theory you publish not do documentaries 1 day ago from web Raindance_Fest RT @Raindance_Fest Ok this is getting silly. Can you point to the scientific evidence backing up the claims in House of Numbers – SEE IT 1 day ago from web gimpyblog Review by a racist, violent conspiracy loon, nice bedfellow RT @Raindance_Fest: Stunning review: Hollywood Gumshoe: http://bit.ly/1XpAX0 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog source @Raindance_Fest linked to support screening of house of numbers endorses beating of rodney king. http://bit.ly/4hHSQ 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog @dontgetfooled did you see @Raindance_Fest just linked to this to support their argument? http://bit.ly/PpRMB the barrel has been scraped 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog #fail you just linked to a crazy right wing birther conspiracy monger e.g. http://bit.ly/hrBKJRT @Raindance_Fest: http://bit.ly/1XpAX0 1 day ago from TweetDeck
dnotice .@Raindance_Fest As someone said “Truth’s 3 Stages Denial|Opposition|Acceptance”. You deny us & oppose us, so now u just need to accept… 1 day ago from TweetDeck dnotice I, @gimpyblog & @dontgetfooled just got insulted by Raindance Fest (@raindance_fest) for criticising them showing an AIDS denialism film 
1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog @Raindance_Fest Ok this is getting silly. Can you point to the scientific evidence backing up the claims in House of Numbers? 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog RT @dontgetfooled: Is Elliot Grove the new Andrew Neil? http://tr.im/Awyz @raindance_fest http://bit.ly/Btyd4 1 day ago from TweetDeck dontgetfooled Is Elliot Grove the new Andrew Neil? http://tr.im/Awyz @raindance_fest http://bit.ly/Btyd4 1 day ago from web dontgetfooled dontgetfooled Is Elliot Grove the new Andrew Neil? http://tr.im/Awyz @raindance_fest 1 day ago from web dnotice .@Raindance_Fest … so if I say something about you, which you deny, it *must* be true, even if there’s little if any supporting evidence? 1 day ago from Power Twitter dontgetfooled RT @Raindance_Fest Truths 3 Stages Denial|Opposition|Acceptance <== are these guys for real?! This is beyond parody… 1 day ago from web gimpyblog Abusing a Schopenhauer quote to suggest house of numbers has point?Pathetic RT @Raindance_Fest: Truths 3 Stages Denial|Opposition|Acceptance 1 day ago from TweetDeck dontgetfooled If David Irving starred in a nicely-edited, beautifully-shot film about the holocaust, would @raindance_fest show that too? 1 day ago from web dontgetfooled “Triumph of the Will” was also a “really good piece of film-making” – would @raindance_fest enthuse about that too? 1 day ago from web dontgetfooled @gimpyblog …Totally missing the point that beautiful, well-produced lies are far more dangerous than the usual schlock @raindance_fest 1 day ago from web gimpyblog @dontgetfooled did u see @Raindance_Fest who love the flm http://bit.ly/Btyd4 pulling the ‘if u haven’t seen it u can’t criticise it’ trick? 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog @Raindance_Fest I suggest you read @sethckal on House of Numbers to start with to see why it is all bollocks http://bit.ly/18VZI7 1 day ago from TweetDeck gimpyblog @Raindance_Fest i don’t need to see house of numbers to know its bollocks, i can read the scientific literature to confirm that… 1 day ago from TweetDeck Raindance_Fest RT @gimpyblog Elliot Grove @Raindance_Fest loves the Aids denialism: cock-end http://bit.ly/Btyd4 Have you actually seen House of Numbers? 1 day ago from web si_streetworks “scientific community is divided” is well known in the climate change and creationism areas. @Raindance_Fest http://bit.ly/Rti0r 1 day ago from web si_streetworks Oh no! @Raindance_Fest is promoting the AIDS denialism #houseofnumbers using the ridiculous “scientific community is divided” misinformation 1 day ago from web gimpyblog RT @bengoldacre: Elliot Grove, @Raindance_Fest , loves the Aids denialism: cock-end http://bit.ly/Btyd4 1 day ago from TweetDeck
NM said
“the big US Drug companies love U!”
Pathetic. They’re so proudly ignorant that they don’t even know that “the big US Drug companies” tried to oppose making treatment available in South Africa:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/mar/05/aids.chrismcgreal
Providing the Matthias Rath link was more relevant than you may even know, as Rath employed AIDS denialist and Duesberg colleague David Rasnick in South Africa. He was involved in the illegal clinical trial of Rath vitamins that was conducted there in which several people died (you can read the court documents about the trial on the Treatment Action Campaign website).
And guess what? If you look on the House of Numbers Facebook page, you can find photos of Rasnick assisting with the filming in South Africa (while still a Rath employee, I think, he left SA after the filing of the court case about the illegal trial).
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1540222&id=40491054861
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rasnick
Tristan said
It infuriates me that they are using the fact that “it’s a stunning piece of film making” to defend House of Numbers. I’d accept that if it was a piece of fiction, but it isn’t – it’s being promoted as a documentary.
It seems Raindance are missing quite a fundamental thing here, which is that in documentaries content should be king. It might have a great soundtrack, good cinematography, be well paced etc, but if the main thesis of the film is nonsense then it fails as a documentary.
Grove and Rashid seem up their own arses!
Nick Boorer said
I know it’s a little off topic, for which I apologise, but I truly think Dr Melville’s original opinion and his subsequent retraction and mea culpa should not in any way be criticised but instead held up as a truly wonderful example of how we should all behave. From his prompt and deeply thoughtful and considered reaction to the (justifiable) criticism he received for his original endorsement, Caspar has emerged as a true hero of the critical process and the value of the idea of facts and research overturning the insidious effects of rhetoric and demagoguery. From following his journey down this path I was hugely inspired and filled with admiration and it behoves us all to recognise his efforts and his laudable recantation.
None of us can be experts in everything. As (at the most generous interpretation) I am nothing more than a sinologist and a lawyer, I have little expertise in anything relevant to scepticism. I recognise that I can easily be hoodwinked and I hope the rest of you can as well.
gimpy said
Well I think his original opinion was worthy of robust criticism, but it’s undeniable that his subsequent conduct and analysis of his mistakes is beyond reproach. I don’t think his reputation has been at all damaged by this.
warhelmet said
Hmm. I suspect that other RHC alumni may be less than happy with this. I suspect that Billy Bragg won’t be happy with this. I’m not sure that some of the sponsors of Raindance will be happy with this.
seborgarsen said
I used to work with researchers at Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Copenhagen. One of my tasks was to enter data from hand written forms into databases. I’d enter data on all the HIV patients in Denmark. Some would come to the department for blood tests and so forth and I had the chance to meet these patients.
One time I found a note in one of the journals: “The patient has left for [African home country] to die”. This patient had developed full blown AIDS. This little note touched me deeply.
Over time, the patients never showed up again. We all know why.
I have literally looked at all the cell counts and seen all the cases of HIV/AIDS in Denmark. I simply cannot believe AIDS denial exists.
Is seems to me it is part of the zeitgeist for people to be denying all sorts of things these days; 9/11 “Truthers”, homeopaths denying physics, Holocaust denial etc. I can better understand something lige Holocaust denial for it’s political under-pinnings, or the snake oil peddling by chiropractors for economic reasons.
But who could have any interest whatsoever in spreading any kind of denial or questioning of the HIV pandemic?
Can someone please explain to me what is going here? And why would anyone help, excuse my French, these fucktards promote their lethal propaganda?
cryopractor said
aside from all the nonsense and downloadable rhetoric this topic typically produces, your question must stand out as one of the easiest to answer for yourself. There are two routes one can take. A rational one where the truth is attained by a process of elimination or the political one where it is all about what you want or need and, dammit, Right Now!!
Their motive is not financial; they would have stayed the course I think and their motive is probably not political either… not that I could tell at least. So what could be left?
prehaps…just maybe…GASP! c o m p a s s i o n ?
It’s hard to accept but it is well known that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I don’t find this so hard to accept and perhaps it would aid us all in our endeavors to end Aids and denialism… ideally both.
jdc325 said
The Youtube comment I linked to on Twitter has disappeared. The bit I quoted from was this: “idiot sits through 2-hour AIDS denial propaganda, does no independent research, announces it’s a triumph of journalism”, which I think pretty much sums up the clip of Elliot Grove’s reaction to House of Numbers.
NM said
@Warhelmet
One of the film’s Executive Producers is reported to be worth 62 million pounds:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6350158.ece
Perhaps he’s offered to underwrite Raindance if the rest of the sponsors pull out?
@Seborgarsen
The data you entered probably contributed to this analyses of the life expectancy of people with HIV in the era of effective treatment:
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/146/2/87
The same cohort data has also facilitated an analysis of the improvement in the prognosis HIV-infected people with pneumonia due to better treatments:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2737147
Along with disseminated herpes zoster and thrush, pneumonia is listed as the cause of death of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore, who appears in House of Numbers but died this past December.
seborgarsen said
Thanks for the links, heartening to see those.
warhelmet said
Nm – not being funny, but if my hairdresser knew about this, no GHD products in his salon…
Clark Baker said
It’s remarkable how a little film called House of Numbers terrifies the heterophobic recipients of pharmaceutical funding… Click on my link to find out why the country of Apartheid depends upon HIV to keep their mines open…
edited
link removed
Tristan said
“Heterophobic recipients of pharmaceutical funding”???
Explain!
Arthur said
Google “Clark Baker – Ex-cop and homophobic right-wing blogger” to get an explanation.
NM said
@Warhelmet
He’s no longer with the company according to that article, but it’s from May so things could have changed.
Clark Baker is one of his friends on Facebook, along with many other AIDS denialists (David Crowe, Henry Bauer, Anthony Brink, Alex Verney-Elliott, Janine Roberts, etc.).
http://en-gb.facebook.com/martin.r.penny
NM said
And he lists himself as a fan of Peter Duesberg.
His name was added to the AIDS denialist list of people who “doubt the HIV-AIDS theory” in July 2007:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070702055910/http://www.rethinkingaids.com/quotes/rethinkers.htm
This is one of the Executive Producers of House of Numbers according to imdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3191901/
NM said
Just saw on Seth Kalichman’s blog that House of Numbers claims Christine Maggiore’s death was “unrelated to HIV”
http://denyingaids.blogspot.com/2009/10/moron-aids-denialist-film-house-of.html?showComment=1254715966442#c6267319743077831359
Arthur said
House by numbers are removing comments critical of the movie from the You Tube interview with Xavier Rashid. Yet they are keeping the comments which praise the film.
Ironically, supporters of the film accuse the complaining scientists and AIDS sufferers of “censorship” by opposing the film.
What a disgrace.
gimpy said
It’s hardly surprising that they do this, they aren’t interested in debate
I’ve saved the videos and can put them up myself if this persists.
Giftmacher said
At least those videos don’t have many comments in support, censorship or not. Indeed the most active supporter looks like someone’s sock puppet. The DanJones9k47 account was created on the 5th of October and hasn’t really done anything other than comment on the two Raindance videos.
Gift.
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