DATE: DeCeMber 14th, 3 pm.
Performance “The Time Teller has returned” by Mohamad Moe Sabbah (content note: strobing light) + film program + Q&A
Starting with a performance of Mohamad Moe Sabbah, the two selected films will follow and span from the 90s to the present, offering both a historical and poetic perspective on personal stories and bodies affected by STIs. From intimate whispers to a collective chorus, they explore how societal perceptions infiltrate the body, much like an infection itself, but also examine the transformative power that defies social taboos.
“Is this still a thing today?” After the screenings, we will discuss the artistic approaches of these films and take a historical look at the ACT UP movement from the 80s to today with expert Chrystal from Aidshilfe Köln.
How far have we come in terms of de-stigmatization of STIs, and what role does the power of filmmaking play in this process?
FRANK’S COCK, Mike Hoolboom, Canada 1993, 8′, english
A foursided look at AIDS, a first person testament that is alternately funny and sad, relating the meeting of two lovers and their sexual adventures. As the story of their life is told by its survivor, the screen divides into four scenes revealing the storyteller, footage shot inside the body, a montage of performance art and gay porn. This division within the frame replays the effect of the virus, multiplying its deadly effects in a phantasmagoria of loss. An elegy for a friend.
content notes: HIV, AIDS, death
EMBODIED CHORUS, Danielle Davie & Mohamad Sabbah, Lebanon, Germany, Luxembourg 2023, 72′, Arabic/French/English with english subtitles
Danielle’s raw filmed diary and Moe’s vibrant queer memory of living with a sexually transmitted infection, ignite a collaborative exploration of bodies, intimacy, and shame.
content notes: STIs, HIV, surviving/death, stigmatising
Q&A with Mohamad Moe Sabbah and Crystal (Aidshilfe Köln) after the screening, 20′
