National AIDS Memorial partners with award-winning filmmaker Matt Nadel, director of the forthcoming documentary Cashing Out, to connect young people with critical AIDS history and preserve the AIDS Memorial Quilt
National AIDS Memorial is the U.S.’s leading steward of HIV/AIDS history. By sharing the story of the struggle against HIV/AIDS, we remember, in perpetuity, the lives lost; we offer healing and hope to survivors; and we inspire new generations of activists in the fight against stigma, denial, and hate for a just future.
But as long-term survivors (LTS) of the early AIDS epidemic move toward retirement, we are faced with a new challenge: making HIV/AIDS history accessible to young people—that is, equipping them with the knowledge and passion to become guardians of AIDS history and HIV-conscious leaders in their communities.
To meet this challenge, National AIDS Memorial is partnering with award-winning director Matt Nadel, a queer Gen Z filmmaker whose forthcoming documentary Cashing Out explores a fascinating, largely forgotten corner of AIDS history to which he has an unlikely personal connection.
About Cashing Out
At the height of the AIDS crisis, thousands of people with terminal diagnoses sold their life insurance policies to investors for quick cash. A thought-provoking exploration of this billion-dollar "AIDS profiteering" industry, Cashing Out tells the stories of those who fought for dignity as the world around them crumbled—and spotlights one of the industry’s early investors: the filmmaker’s father.
In the early 1990s, the AIDS epidemic was in its second decade. Unable to work and with few months to live, many people with AIDS negotiated “viatical settlements” to live out their dying days with dignity.
These settlements were simple. People with AIDS sold their life insurance policies to investors and, in exchange, received a portion of their own death benefit upfront. Some used the money for survival, to pay rent or buy medications. Others opted for end-of-life luxury—embarking on lavish trips, buying vacation homes, and starting businesses.
When these patients died, investors received the full value of their policies, often earning healthy profits on a quick turnaround. Cashing Out spotlights the morally complex stories of everyday people pursuing dignity outside the institutions that neglected them—and finding joy on the brink of death. By examining who was and wasn’t able to access that dignity and joy, Cashing Out also connects AIDS history to timely questions around healthcare access, equity, and the social safety net.
About the Campaign
During a theatrical run of Cashing Out, 97% of viewers reported feeling more personally and emotionally connected to AIDS history after watching the film. Viewers aged 18-34 in particular attributed this connection to the film’s unconventional approach: its use of a “stranger-than-fiction” industry as a softer entrypoint into AIDS history, and its inclusion of a Gen Z filmmaker's personal connection. Through National AIDS Memorial’s THE QUILT CAN BE A COMFORTER campaign, we hope to harness this unique connective power, drawing young people into National AIDS Memorial’s vital mission and work by:
• Hosting a nationwide screening tour of Cashing Out, focusing on connecting with young people at universities and schools and in LGBTQ+ community groups
• Pairing each screening with a panel discussion, including Long-Term Survivors, local HIV leaders, and the filmmakers
• Driving viewers to support National AIDS Memorial's critical work by volunteering, participating in our programs, or donating
Some funds from this campaign will also be used to support the physical preservation of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
