Generation 90: The AIDS years

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 8 p.m.
at Le Méliès cinema

Screening with Marion Scemama, François Pain,
and Arnaud Genon (author of “Hervé Guibert: Vers une esthétique post-moderne”).

 

La pudeur ou l’impudeur by Hervé Guibert (1991, 58’)

herve-guibert.jpg

The writer Hervé Guibert, who died of AIDS at the end of 1991, was a close friend of Michel Foucault’s. By writing and filming his illness and his body in the face of the medical establishment (and what he sometimes described as “therapeutic rape”), he reappropriated himself through self-representation. His 1991 film La Pudeur ou l’Impudeur (Modesty or Shamelessness), a cross between a film diary and a stage production, authorized the figuration of suffering bodies that had until then, particularly in their daily lives, been exiled beyond the realm of the visible. (AI&KQ)
“When I saw Hervé Guibert’s self-portrait of a naked man entering the water, I was able to authorize my body to go on stage. At the time, AIDS sufferers were very ashamed to show their bodies; they didn’t want to go out or show themselves. Some people did come out, and it was important to show one’s body, even when it was sick. And some of these people seemed very beautiful to me; you could see another kind of beauty in them.” Raimund Hoghe, 2007
“A chronicle of a death foretold, Hervé Guibert films the repetition and describes the horror of everyday life without vain modesty or complacency. His mastery of photography helps him turn this tête-à-tête with AIDS – the supreme confession of an autobiographical work – into an act of faith in literature, an ode to life. This diary, which caused such a scandal with its open shamelessness, gave rise to an important cinematographic movement, of which it remains one of the most successful”. (Documentary on Grand Ecran)
“There is no such thing as forbidden art (even if there is a moral). There are strong and mediocre works.
Filming one’s death is a hard experience. The hard core of a truth. Death at work in the body, the test of decay, puts sincerity in total jeopardy. You have to reckon with modesty. Anything can be said. Is it necessary to show everything, even the shame of degradation?
Hervé Guibert’s film is luminous and ethereal, and that’s what makes it so surprising. Did he film his own death, or his own image of it? The writer, who hid nothing in writing about the evolution of his illness, delving into the underbelly of things and people, has achieved a purity here. La Pudeur ou l’Impudeur (Modesty or Shamelessness) is not a film about AIDS, but the view of a young man who is about to die, on the world around him that he is leaving behind. An incandescent film, a quiet time, like a retreat. A space.” Catherine Humblot, “Filmer, c’est toujours vivre”, Le Monde, February 2, 1992.

requiem-soukaz.jpgRequiem by Lionel Soukaz (2003-2007, 5’)

A requiem against the G8 and for the free distribution of tritherapies to AIDS sufferers in poor countries, particularly in Africa, Lionel Soukaz’s appeal denounces the political and capitalist obstructions to access to care and survival for AIDS sufferers. (AI&KQ)

 

Last Night I took a Man… Reading by David Wojnarowicz, directed by Marion Scemama and François Pain (1989-1998, 4’)

David Wojnarowicz has established himself as one of the essential American artists of the 80s. He was born in New Jersey in 1954. Beaten and abused as a child, he fled to New York, discovered his homosexuality, lived on the streets and subsisted on occasional prostitution. He hitchhiked across the United States. During the 80s, he became a recognized artist (photographer, video artist, painter, sculptor and writer). He belonged to the East Village art movement, and was active in New York’s alternative scene (Nan Goldin, Richard Kern, Lydia Lunch, Kathy Acker…) A militant homosexual, fiercely critical of American society, he died of AIDS in 1992 (Notice from Désordres).
“It is because David Wojnarowicz’s creative work is the product of his entire life that it has acquired such power. While everything seems to be said over and over again, something emerges from David Wojnarowicz’s chaos that confronts us with our responsibility to have something to do with the course of the world’s movement.” Félix Guattari

 

Generation 90: The years AIDS

Wednesday February 13, 2008 – 20h
Cinema Le Méliès, Montreuil

Attention : This is an automatic translation !

Meeting in the presence of Marion Scemama, François Pain, and Arnaud Genon (author of “Herve Guibert. Towards a post-modern esthetics”).

La pudeur ou l’impudeur by Hervé Guibert
(1991, 58’)

herve-guibert.jpgThe writer Herve Guibert, deceased at the end of 1991 of the AIDS, and close to Michel Foucault, delivered himself, by writing and filming his disease and his body vis-a-vis the medical institution (and so that it described sometimes like a “therapeutic rape”) with a reappropriation of oneself by the means of his autorepresentation. Decency or Impudeur, which it carries out in 1991, between filmed newspaper and setting in scene, authorized the figuration of suffering bodies, which were up to that point, and in particular in their everyday life, exiled in-on this side field of the visible one. (AI&KQ)
“When I saw the self-portrait of Herve Guibert, naked entering water, I could authorize my body to be assembled on scene. At that time, the patients of the AIDS were very ashamed of showing their body, they did not want to more leave nor to show themselves. Some left, and it was important to show its body, even when it was sick. And some of these people appeared very beautiful to me, one could see another beauty at them. ” Raimund Hoghe, 2007
“Chronic of an announced death whose Herve Guibert films the repetition and describes the horror with the daily newspaper without vain decency, without kindness. The image, that as a photographer it controls perfectly, assistance to be made of this private conversation with the AIDS, – supreme confession of an autobiographical work – an act of faith in the literature, an ode with the life. This diary whose impudor asserted made scandal, gave rise to an important cinematographic current, of which it remains one of the successes. ” (Documentary on Big screen)
“There is no interdict in art (even if there is a morals). There are strong or poor works.
la-pudeur-ou-limpudeur.jpgTo film its death is a hard experiment. The hard core of a truth. Death with work in the body, the test of the forfeiture, jeopardizes total sincerity. Because it is necessary to take into account decency. One can all say. Is it necessary all to show, even the shame of degradation?
The film of Herve Guibert is luminous, air, and it is what surprises. Did he film his death or the representation that it is done some? The writer, who did not hide anything in writing evolution of his disease, excavating the lower part of the things and people arrived here at the diagram. Decency or Impudeur is not a film on the AIDS, it is the glance of an young man who will die, on the world which surrounds it and which it leaves. An incandescent film, a calm time, like a retirement. A space. ” Catherine Humblot, “To film, it is always to live”, Le Monde, February 2, 1992.

requiem-soukaz.jpgRequiem by Lionel Soukaz
(2003-2007, 5’)

Requiem against the G8 and for the free distribution of the trithérapies to the patients of the AIDS of the poor countries and in particular African, Lionel Soukaz in the form of throbbing call, denounces the political and capitalist obstructions with the access to the care and the survival of the patients of the AIDS. (AI&KQ)

 

last-night.jpgLast Night I took a Man…
Lecture de David Wojnarowicz
réalisé par Marion Scemama et François Pain
(1989-1998, 4’)

David Wojnarowicz asse rted itself like one of the American artists impossible to circumvent of the Eighties. He is born in the New Jersey in 1954. Beaten and maltreated child, it flees in New York, discovers his homosexuality, lives in the street, remains thanks to the occasional prostitution. He crosses the United States in hitch-hiking. During the Eighties, he becomes a recognized artist (photographer, vidéaste, painter, sculptor and writer). He belongs to the artistic movement of the East Village and evolves/moves in the New Yorkean alternative medium (Nan Goldin, Richard Kern, Lydia Lunch, Kathy Acker…) Homosexual militant, savagely criticizes american company, it dies of the AIDS in 1992. (Note of the editions Disorders)
It is because the creative work of David Wojnarowicz proceeds of all his life which it acquired a similar power. Whereas all seems known as and repeats, something emerges from the chaos of David Wojnarowicz who places to us in front of our responsibility to be for something in the course of the movement of the world. Felix Guattari