Caroline Halazy

It's a tale of two shocks. 1992, Les Nuits fauves hits theaters. 1993, Cyril Collard dies of AIDS. The artist and his film caused a scandal in 90s France, which suddenly realized the violence of the epidemic and the upheaval it would bring for its children... Collard's work still resonates today, through its depiction of the rage of life and sexual freedom, and the courage it takes to face up to the inevitability of the virus. This documentary is supported by powerful archive footage, allowing us to rediscover the destiny of a striking artist. It is also based on the testimonies of those who knew him and agreed to talk about who he was, the driving forces behind his rebellion and his way of creating. The film is also punctuated by readings from some of the thousands of letters sent to Cyril Collard, revealing what it was about his work that struck a chord with viewers, especially younger ones.

As admired as he was controversial, Sade is a doubly scandalous figure: through his actions and his writings, veritable catalogues of sexual perversions. Imprisoned in the 18th century, vilified, condemned to clandestine publications, "the divine marquis" has become synonymous with a condemned sexual practice: sadism. Sade, however, would be partially rehabilitated, would greatly influence French intellectuals, and would be lauded by the greatest figures: from Baudelaire to Giacometti, from Pasolini to Simone de Beauvoir. Today, some even go so far as to consider Sade a feminist figure. To mark the acquisition of the manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom" by the National Library of France, "Le Doc Stupéfiant" offers a unique portrait of a libertine without limits.

Until 1982, when homosexuality was decriminalized, homosexuals were caricatured, insulted and even condemned. They had to live hidden from the gaze of others and create their own spaces of freedom: balls, the night and especially art. Artists have contributed to making homosexuals visible, first through words, then through images, and finally by investing popular culture.