RED GOLD
YEAR: 2002
DIRECTOR: Nick READ
AUTHORS: Nick READ
FORMAT: Digital Betacam
DIFFUSION: Digital Betacam
DURATION: 52 minutes
TYPE: Documentary
VERSIONS: English, French
PRODUCTION: Optomen Television, France 5, Lieurac Productions
PARTICIPATION: Centre Nationale de la Cinématographie

The aftermath of Hiroshima revealed that, in the case of nuclear conflict, stocks of blood would have to be considerably increased. At the same time, the need for blood and blood products, as surgery, and especially cardiac surgery, developed, forced medical authorities in Europe and the USA to completely reorganise the collection and storage of blood. Europe has a long tradition of voluntary donors, but the American industrialists, conscious of the enormity of the prospective world market, paid people to donate their blood without giving heed to their medical background, which was often doubtful.

When AIDS broke out in 1980, it was already too late. The consequences continue to be disastrous, especially for homophiles. We imagined that we had mastered nature, but found to our great cost that this was not so. The challenge remains; we must still find a way to provide a safe and healthy blood in the necessary quantities.