BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017)

Members of the advocacy group ACT UP Paris demand action by the government and pharmaceutical companies to combat the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s.

Director:

Robin Campillo

Writers:

Robin Campillo, Philippe Mangeot (collaboration on screenplay)

Stars:

Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adèle Haenel

48 wins & 57 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart	...	Sean
Arnaud Valois	...	Nathan
Adèle Haenel	...	Sophie
Antoine Reinartz	...	Thibault
Félix Maritaud	...	Max
Ariel Borenstein	...	Jérémie
Aloïse Sauvage	...	Eva
Simon Bourgade	...	Luc
Médhi Touré	...	Germain
Simon Guélat	...	Markus
Coralie Russier	...	Muriel
Catherine Vinatier	...	Hélène
Théophile Ray	...	Marco
Saadia Bentaïeb	...	Mère Sean
Jean-François Auguste	...	Fabien

Storyline

Early 1990s. With AIDS having already claimed countless lives for nearly ten years, Act up-Paris activists multiply actions to fight general indifference. Nathan, a newcomer to the group, has his world shaken up by Sean, a radical militant, who throws his last bits of strength into the struggle.

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Plot Keywords:

act up | hiv awareness | euthanasia | gay interest | gay relationship | 

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Taglines:

Paris, early 1990s.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

France's submission to the Foreign Language Film Award of the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

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Goofs

After the incursion in the lab, the group gathered in the subway; in the background we can see a Score games ad. Score games first shop was opened in 1992 in Paris, although the action is supposed to be set in 1989.

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Connections

Referenced in Guépardes: Un Lion ne meurt pas, il dort (2018)

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Soundtracks

What About This Love? (Kenlou Mix)
Recorded by Larry Heard (as Mr. Fingers)
Composed and produced by Larry Heard

User Reviews

Prevention of AIDS movement with typically French scenes

Dear movie freaks, yesterday I went to film festival and I choose to watch this movie because of a reason: I already brainwash by Hollywood, so I want to watch other movie. This one is coming from France. As far as I know about French movies, they are sarcastic, well-presented, full of sex scenes, and shows the reality or humanity of marginalized people, and sometimes have clear ending. This movie 120 BPM has contributed to value up French movies this year and I do not so surprised if this movie was appreciated in Festival de Cannes. 120 BPM is a movie about the movement to prevent AIDS in the early 1980s in France, where at that time condoms were uncommon, despite of free-sex society. The scenes, cinematography, and main story about this movie is quite simple, but sharp in giving meaning, so that in each take, they have grammar of the scene and I could imagine they had shooting in many angles, as this movie could represent AIDS prevention in every angle of the story. Just like other French movies, this movie has sex scenes and hard language, so that if there are teenagers with you, I suggest you to explain more. The Director here also gives some real footages of the movement, so audience could have mental image of what was going on at that time, especially from the sad scenes, audience will remember the whole story as the critic for French government at that time (the President was Francois Mitterand, from French Socialist Party). Quite different from Brave Heart, this movie also wanted to say the AIDS prevention movement is for everyone, not for leftist people and I think this clear idea that had been founded the acting of all actors of this movie, deserve a high acclaim from many film festivals, including film festivals in Indonesia, my hometown. Thank you for 100% Manusia, an Indonesian NGO, who deliver this movie to our eyes.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook [UK] Official site [Germany]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 October 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

EUR5,383,899 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,566, 22 October 2017

Gross USA:

$125,189

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,704,369

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films de Pierre, France 3 Cinéma, Page 114

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1