THE GIFT combines a romantic tragedy and an experiment in modern technology. It fuses 35mm footage from an unreleased film called AT RISK with new footage shot on HD (using both the Sony HDW-F900 and the Canon XL-H1). The unreleased film is a cautionary tale about infidelity and the spread of HIV. Its observations, fears and anxiety reflect the general hysteria of its time. The new material brings a modern perspective, the effects of the disease as its passed through new generations, and a storyline that infuses lyricism and melodrama.