Viral Intimacies: Abya Yala+: Cinematic Perspectives from Colombia, Chile, Brazil, and Beyond
Filmscreening: Spanish + English (with English subtitles)
Screening films from across Latin America, Abya Yala+ challenges the Global North’s dominance in HIV/AIDS cultural narratives. The selected documentaries, shorts, and features offer powerful insights into the political and emotional landscapes of HIV – past and present. A post-screening conversation with the filmmakers will explore memory, stigma, and the current conditions of HIV-related art and activism.
Siemprevivas: Memorias del SIDA en Chile (Everlastings: Memories of AIDS in Chile)
Director: Víctor Hugo Robles
Bio: Known as “El Che de los Gays,” Víctor Hugo is a Chilean community journalist and queer activist. A pioneer of artivism since the 1990s, he co-founded MOVILH Histórico, edited VIVOPOSITIVO, co-directed Las Locas del 73, and hosts the radio show Siempre Viva en Vivo, exploring gender, sexuality, and HIV/AIDS.
El VIH se enamoró de mí (HIV Fell in Love With Me)
Directors: Mariana Iacono & Juan de la Mar
Bio:
Mariana Iacono — Feminist, social worker, and media activist making life with HIV visible for 20 years, centering pleasure, motherhood, and gender.
Juan de la Mar — Lawyer and artist whose short De Gris a POSITHIVO reached 52 international film festivals. His performances La Dolorosa and La Unción merge art, healing, and activism.
Os Primeiros Soldados (The First Fallen)
Director: Rodrigo de Oliveira
Bio: Queer Brazilian director, screenwriter, and editor. A Brazilian Academy Award winner for All Paulos in the World(2018), Rodrigo has also directed The Vulgar Hours (2011), Tybalt Dead, Romeo in Exile (2015), and All This Water(2023). The First Fallen (2021) is his fourth feature — a powerful reflection on resilience and love amid the early HIV crisis.