In an effort to highlight the important work that nurses do and solidify the company’s position as a long-standing advocate for the profession, Johnson & Johnson created the feature documentary 5B. Produced by UM Studios and J3, UM’s dedicated media unit for Johnson & Johnson, the film tells the story of Ward 5B, the first AIDS ward in the United States, which opened in 1983 at San Francisco General Hospital, and the nurses and caregivers who treated patients with respect and compassion during a time of great fear and uncertainty.
“It was a bold proposal,” says Brendan Gaul, UM Studios’ head and global chief content officer. “A few minutes into our initial conversation, [the] client stopped us, saying she’d heard enough. Incredibly, the client had been on the ground at San Francisco General Hospital, inside Ward 5B, delivering whatever Johnson & Johnson products could potentially help the patients in the early AIDS crisis. Needless to say, the clients were all in and our journey was underway.”
5B was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019 and was acquired by Verizon for domestic and international cinematic release. It screened at 17 Pride celebrations across the country and is being incorporated into nursing curricula. The film even influenced Hollywood, as 20th Century Fox licensed portions of recovered archival footage of the ward to use in the hit movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
“While the story of Ward 5B is not a contemporary one, it is in many ways as relevant today as it was at the height of the AIDS crisis,” says Gaul. “In a period of division in domestic and international relations, when fear and hatred challenge our ability to accept those we perceive as different, 5B is an uplifting reminder of the power of love over hate.” —Rae Ann Fera
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