News / Mar. 20, 2018
The sentence: “I am so sorry that you ran into me when I am about to die,” has already become the most heartbreaking declaration of 2018.
BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017) narrates the overwhelming AIDS crisis that hit Paris during the 80s. Director Robin Campillo work behind the camera and use of music takes us back to the time when HIV-infected patients bravely fought against the ignorance of their government in order to survive. The protests were similar to what today we know as the gay pride parades. The painful cry of its main character makes us feel the threat of decide and how much was at stake during that time: “I may not be able to join the gay pride next year!”.
ACT UP: an organization established to fight for equality. / Source: iFilm
With a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, BPM has been awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival, and three Best Foreign Film awards by North American film critic associations. It was also nominated for 13 Cesar Awards. Robin Campillo was a teenager when AIDS started to spread and LGBT rights awareness was raising in France. Fear and bravery deeply affected him and the community during those year. After BPM received worldwide acclaim, he firmly stated: “There are two things that I will not stop fighting for during my whole life, films and AIDS awareness. I have been preparing this film for 30 years, and this is the moment for us to change social stigmas. I want everyone to hear my voice from when I was on the street 20 years ago!” After finishing the screenplay, he spent a lot of time researching, even asking the actors to watch a series of films for inspiration. “I don’t want them to just imitate,” he said, “instead, I hope they can relive the spirit of the time and the impact of this crisis.”
The two main characters. / Source: iFilm
Palme d’Or winner Robin Campillo’s latest work, BPM (Beats Per Minute), not only received several awards in European film area. Many famous directors such as Xavier Dolan and Pedro Almodóvar also highly recommended this film as “the must-watch movie of the year,” and they confessed to be deeply touched by this story. Campillo included some of his personal experiences in the film resulting in a more vivid and credible experience: not only in the portrayal of the two main characters but also in the struggle against the French government and the pharmaceutical companies – they all emanated from Campillo’s own memories. The film does not only dwell on the negative, there is also time for love and the power of the community when everyone follows and dances to the music of their heartbeats.
One of the main character, Sean. / Source: iFilm
In 1990s, AIDS had spread worldwide, and pharmaceutical saw it as a big business opportunity. Many young men in Paris were enraged about the current situation, so they founded a social movement organization, ACT UP, and marched through the street. At this moment, a new relationship develops between HIV+ Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) and newcomer Nathan (Arnaud Valois). As their relationship becomes more intimate, Sean’s health worsens. Even though darkness is haunting them, their heartbeats get stronger and stronger, ready to fight for this endless war. They have nothing but the fight
