With his signature blend of scientific acumen, candor, and integrity, Dr. Anthony Fauci became America’s most unlikely cultural icon during COVID-19. A world-renowned infectious disease specialist and the longest-serving public health leader in Washington, D.C., he has valiantly overseen the U.S. response to 50 years’ worth of epidemics, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola. FAUCI is an unprecedented portrait of one of our most vital public servants, whose work saved millions while he faced threats from anonymous adversaries. Directed by Emmy winners John Hoffman (The Weight of the Nation, Sleepless in America) and Janet Tobias (Unseen Enemy), the film is executive produced by Academy Award winner Dan Cogan (Icarus) and two-time Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?, The Farm: Angola, USA). The documentary features insights from President George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Bono, former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, former national security advisor Susan Rice, National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Tom Frieden and key AIDS activists, plus Dr. Fauci’s family, friends and former patients.
Recommended by a family member this documentary dives into the life and history of Anthony Fauci. Arguably the face of the COVID pandemic. This documentary shows you the human side of the scientist that for decades has been a strong voice in six administrations through some of the deadliest outbreaks in world history. It chronicles the parallels that seem to be happening between the AIDS outbreaks in the nineties and the COVID outbreak of today. There were parts of this movie that showed the family man, the husband, and the confidant. National Geographic is excellent at creating these types of Bios of important figures. While it focused on the activism of the AIDS outbreak and how Fauci made some bridges between the protestors and the science, I could not overcome the feeling that this documentary was about rebuilding some trust with the American people. COVID has sparked some harsh feelings about how this Pandemic is being marshaled. Decisions are being politicized and questioned, and "The Science" although evolving every day, is pitting people against each other in ways never before seen in history. We have at our fingers more knowledge than ever before, but also the confusion and misunderstanding of that knowledge making people believe that they can be experts on topics that people like Fauci have spent their whole life learning about because they read a Facebook post. I have never claimed to be an expert in anything. Investigating as much as I can and asking questions is the way I learn and expand my understanding. People like Fauci and all the other countless Scientists that dedicate their lives to making cures to illness are heroes. This documentary pays homage to one of those heroes. It is worth a watch to hear his side of the story.
The devil's advocate in me wants to hear the other side of the story. The rumblings of a man that stole credit and discredited anyone that would not follow his lead. The man that funded gain of function research when the government shut down that program. The theories that he co-owns patents on the COVID cures and testing mechanisms. I was really hoping these would have been mentioned in this movie but I am not sure that documentary would ever hit the mainstream media. Addressing these topics would have helped mend some of the broken trust of the American people. By leaving them out, it might have amplified the paranoia around those topics. For an image-building documentary, it was very well made and worth a watch. Let me know your thoughts either way.
Ranking 7.5/10
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