Perspective Film Series:
120 battements par minute (2017), dir. Robin Campillo
August 25
5:30 PM
Dome Theatre
2017 | France | 140 mins
Robin Compillo’s 120 battements par minute (2017) paints a poignant picture of the activism of ACT UP Paris during the 1990s AIDS epidemic. The film interweaves personal stories with collective action as the group campaigns for better treatment and visibility of HIV patients, highlighting the urgency of their fight against government indifference and pharmaceutical corruption. At its core, 120 battements par minute speaks to the power of activism and solidarity in the face of health and social crises, laying bare the emotional and physical toll of advocacy, while also celebrating the resilience and community spirit of those involved.
This film is French with English subtitles.
This Perspective screening is programmed in partnership with SafeLink Alberta. A moderated conversation and Q&A on HIV prevention and advocacy will be held after the screening.
Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including strong sexual content and nudity, which may be triggering for some viewers.
Sunday, August 25
Doors: 5:00 PM
Screening: 5:30 PM
FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.
About the Speakers:
Mark Randall (he/him/they/them) is the Community Outreach Coordinator at SafeLink Alberta, working towards reducing the risks and harms associated with substance use and sexual activity. Randall was diagnosed with HIV infection in 1988, when the only available treatment option was Zidovudine (more commonly known as AZT). In 1996, having recovered from his near AIDS-related death as a result of new treatment options, he began his work in HIV treatment access, informed consent for clinical trials, and working nationally with the Canadian Treatment Action Council, holding government and pharmaceutical companies to account for their HIV response and treatment of persons living with HIV.
Gerry McConnery (he/him) is the former chair of the Canadian AIDS Society, former vice-chair of AIDS Calgary, and a member of the board of the Alberta Community Council on HIV. He has been living with HIV for 35 years and has been a longtime advocate for persons living with HIV.
About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.
The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.
