[The 90’s raw: John Parker]

Raw footage for the award-winning TV series “The 90’s.” In New Haven, Connecticut, ex-addict John Parker of the National AIDS Brigade illegally distributes clean needles to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of AIDS. Parker is in thousands of dollars of debt, paying for the program entirely himself. He feels that his program empowers people to feel like they can make a difference in their own lives, which is the first step towards treatment. On the day when videomaker Skip Blumberg is shooting, Parker is also being interviewed by an ABC news crew. Blumberg’s shooting style contrasts greatly with that of the ABC crew, who prefer to set up artificial situations rather than shoot events as they unfold. After they leave the park where he is distributing the needles, they go to the “shooting gallery” where IV drug addicts inject themselves. We learn that the health department has cut off his support and Parker has competition from gay organizations.