Helena Solberg Cineclub presents THE FIRST FALLEN

THE FIRST FALLEN | OS PRIMEIROS SOLDADOS
Dir. Rodrigo de Oliveira | 2021 | Brazil | 107 min. | Portuguese with English subtitles.

Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day, a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since 1988, communities have stood together on World AIDS Day to show support for people living with, and affected by, HIV, and to remember lives lost. Acknowledging the date, HELENA SOLBERG CINECLUB screens The First Fallen, an elegiac tribute set during the dawn of the AIDS crisis in Brazil.

At the turn of 1983, in a small Brazilian town, a group of LGBTQ+ friends rings in the New Year with no idea of what is lurking in the future. When biologist Suzano realises a terrible sickness is disrupting his body, he reaches out to trans artist Rose and videographer Humberto, both equally ill. Banded together by uncertainty, and desperate for information, they try to survive the first wave of the AIDS epidemic.

A story about nameless heroes in a war the world has wanted to ignore for too long, THE FIRST FALLEN charts the confusion, exhaustion, and anxiety of living through that terrifying time. Yet what makes director Rodrigo de Oliveira’s vision so moving is the hope and resilience that shine through despite the heavy circumstances: THE FIRST FALLEN celebrates life in the face of a deadly disease.

The film world premiered at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival, and was shown at dozens of film events worldwide, such as Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, BFI Flare, Outfest Los Angeles, MIX Copenhagen, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, among others. It won the prize for Best Film at the Free Eyes Showcase (Mostra Olhos Livres), at the prestigious Tiradentes Film Festival.