Cashing
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.
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 could and couldn’t access that dignity and joy, Cashing Out also connects AIDS history to timely questions around healthcare access, equity, and the social safety net.
