Pedro

15 years ago remember watching an MTV TV show that changed my perceptions what was then something that had little known about it. It would almost certainly kill you.

At the end of the last episode in the house a group of young people watch as Pedro exchanging rings with his boyfriend Sean in front of the smiling house members, (voice of Pedro) "Um…. It is a lot easier for me to face my own fears and to face the uncertainty of my own life humm… Knowing that he is there: So I love you.

Text on the screen as broadcast: 'Pedro passed away on November 11th, 1994, the night the last episode of The Real World San Francisco was televised.' 'Since the epidemic began 33 million people worldwide have died from AIDS' I remembered watching this and crying when it was first broadcast.

I cried tonight.

Then I remembering Pedro discovering he is HIV+ and is and is in despair and lost…. He goes to watch Schindler's List on the cinema and he realises it doesn't matter if he dies or not – Only that he stands up and makes a difference.

Pedro isn't the last beautiful person I have met in my life but because of people like him (some of whom I am lucky to call friends) I know more than I did but more importantly…. I think they have made me a better person. (Yes that needs work too).

'Each year 2.5 million people are newly infected'.

Tonight I watched a film of this story and was reminded how one brave young man's struggle changed my mind forever.

I remembered Pedro and smiled.

The film PEDRO is a combination of documentary and cinematic drama, and as such it could have been an awkward pastiche, an attempt to honor the memory of a brave young man who courageously faced classrooms of children and many different public forums as a man living with HIV, offering the general public the opportunity to learn about the disease in hopes of preventing its spread. Instead what happens is this film as written by Dustin Lance Black after a story by Paris Barclay and as directed with sensitive taste by Nick Oceano is a completely satisfying drama that just happens to add film clips form the well-known life of Pedro Zamora to enhance the dignity of this story.

After a rather startling opening sequence the film begins in Cuba as families lined up to cross to America: among those families was the Zamora mother (Teresa Hernández), father (Anibal O. Lleras) and only three of their children, including young Pedro and Mily. They settle in Miami where Pedro grows up remembering his past in Cuba and concentrating on his world of fantasy with his beloved mother. Pedro matures to a teenager (Alex Loynaz), a handsome and affable young lad whose sexual preference is men. At the tender age of 17 he is found to be HIV positive and his sister Mily (Justina Machado) pledges to stay by his side through all of his trials. Pedro is encouraged by various people to come out about his situation and indeed he does, flying to San Francisco to be on the Real People reality show. There he makes friends with his fellow 'roommates' (especially Judd/ Hale Appleman and Pam/ Jenn Liu). On the show, in front of the public television audience he can be himself - a normal young guy who happens to have AIDS. He meets Sean Sasser (DaJuan Johnson) and they eventually marry on the television series. Pedro becomes a very popular speaker and advocate for AIDS prevention. Once the series is over Pedro becomes ill and goes from a New York hospital to his home in Miami, diagnosed with an incurable manifestation of his disease. The manner in which Pedro and his family cope with all aspects of Pedro's life closes the film.

Alex Loynaz is excellent as Pedro, if not the magnetic personality of his true counterpart, and his scenes with Justina Machado are particularly profound and deeply touching. The entire cast is well selected and offers different insights to the life of Pedro Zamora. There won't be a dry eye after watching this tender film. It is well worth spending time getting to know another unsung hero. Grady Harp

I thought the movie did a good job of portraying the realities of HIV in the early 90's while showing some restraint. The actor Loyenz gave a believable, strong performance as Pedro. In the early days of MTV's reality show the Real World it didn't take much to become celebrity and Pedro used that to educate and promote the HIV/AIDS causes as he had before joining the cast. Sadly like so many in those times he died of his affliction but not before leaving his mark on not only family and friends but a nation and my hope is this film reminds us all of what came before and what we still must do, safe sex for gays and straights, helps prevent the spread of STD's, HIV, Aids and prevents unwanted pregnancy.

I have to admit that I didn't know who Pedro is/was, before I watched this movie. And another user stated correctly, that this movie does have a sort of "Movie of the Week" feeling to it. Still (and maybe because), I hadn't heard of this story I thought the portrayal of Pedro was intense and well played by it's main actor. More subtle than on the nose.

Since I have no idea how much creative freedom the makers took, while making the movie. The drama is good for this sort of movie, but I understand, if people might feel cheated and might have expected much more from this movie. A nice little movie then, but not a must see.

Pedro Zamora broke new ground as an HIV positive AIDS activist on national television on MTV's The Real World. This film, unfortunately, does not break much new ground – we get to know more about Pedro and his leaving Cuba and him dealing with AIDS and his treatments, but it leaves me wanting more. This is more of a Movie Of The Week than a film that celebrates Pedro's life and achievements.

I am a big fan of The Real World and Pedro's season had more drama in it than this movie. The whole Puck arc on The Real World (and even the Rachel and Pedro one) had much more tension and emotion than this film does. It has been 15 years since Pedro passed away, couldn't we have gotten a better script given all the time that it could have been worked on? This film's message is still relevant today, but our relative enlightenment on homosexuality, STDs, sex education and safe sex makes the subject not as taboo as it was 15 years ago.

For me, Alex Loynaz' portrayal of Pedro does not capture the strong life force and intensity that Pedro did have. I did appreciate the cameo that Judd, Pam and their kids had – I wish that all the cast members had participated with their comments in a documentary style instead of the actors who portrayed them.