BPM (Beats per Minute)

Set in 1990s Paris, the story follows a tight knit circle of AIDS activists who refuse to wait for slow clinical progress. They believe cures lie behind closed doors at drug laboratories and they push for access, transparency, and faster research through protest and direct action. The group negotiates the boundary between civic duty and personal risk as friendships turn intimate and alliances form around shared stakes. They fight not only for treatments but for recognition of the people suffering and dying around them. As the crisis deepens, the pace quickens and the energy in the streets shifts from outrage to organized solidarity, turning a movement into a loud, stubborn chorus for change. It captures planning rooms and demonstrations with a sense of lived urgency.

Released in 2017, the film was directed by Robin Campillo with a screenplay by Campillo and Philippe Mangeot. It draws from the real life ACT UP Paris activism and the broader AIDS advocacy movement of the era. Its production captures the era's fashion, music, and club culture, grounding activism in a lived social world.

The film earned Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix in 2017, the festival's second prize, signaling broad critical acclaim. Its fearless depiction of activist organizing and personal sacrifice won it prestigious notices and helped propel the ensemble's performances into wider attention.

BPM's on screen energy sparked renewed conversations about AIDS activism and the human cost of medical delays. Its emphasis on solidarity and collective action resonated beyond cinema, influencing discussions in LGBTQ+ rights spaces and in film circles. The portrayal of activists forging ties in the face of danger remains a touchstone. It also introduced mainstream audiences to the human faces behind activism and became a reference point in debates about protest ethics.

Critics praised the film for its kinetic direction, intimate performances, and honest look at urgency and activism. Themes of devotion, community, mortality, and the moral complexity of protest play out through a large ensemble, balancing rage with tenderness and grounding politics in human experience. The film's energy and honesty leave a lasting impression that lingers after the credits.