313:
390:, describes the film's narration style as "part story, part confessional and part spokesperson". The American media theorist Laura Marks writes that Hoolboom's multi-narrator approach allows the viewer a greater opportunity to empathise with AIDS patients; she writes that it is a more appropriate approach to the issue than "the heroic narrative centering on an individual's suffering" present in other works. In another publication she notes that the film shows a paradox of "having a body that is yours but not", as exemplified by the opening scene.
239:
410:
Cole praised the film, writing that lines such as "If I'm dying of anything it's the way you look at me. It's from the harsh cleanser you put on the toilet after I've used it" were highly powerful, emphasising that the general populace generally lacks knowledge on AIDS; she also noted the criticism
401:
is based on esthetics of "fragmentation and dispersal", emphasising the multicultural cast and camera work, which varies from "talking head" close-ups to voice overs. He notes the strength of the reuse of Russo's speech, in which the activist emphasised survival before dying in 1990, with the words
1177:
1540:
353:
with archive footage, home movies, hand-processed work, and original material. This footage includes material from
Hoolboom's past, as well as archived footage of aircraft crashes, and a stuck car. It also features
446:; he notes that audiences often cried at screenings. Hallas writes that the film "exemplifies" the use of archival footage by LGBT media to "bear witness to the exigencies of AIDS" in modern times.
226:
and describing the treatment. The film then notes the work that is being done, interspersed with footage of two men kissing, but indicates that there is not enough support. It closes with
460:, it won Best Canadian Short Film; the judges remarked that it had "stunning vision and intensely moving testimony of life in the age of AIDS". The film also received two awards at the
1168:
1609:
1614:
215:, a woman tells of her friend who, when using a half-fare card, was told that she could not possibly be AIDS positive as she would have to be home dying. Director
222:
Several actors and actresses deliver thoughts, first regarding maltreatment of AIDS patients by the general public, then comparing living with AIDS to fighting
331:, which was delivered at a protest in 1988 which Hoolboom attended. It features bits written by Hoolboom itself. The majority of actors and actresses are from
461:
1161:
476:
1579:
1510:
1569:
312:
335:, where Hoolboom had established himself; they came from a variety of racial, generational, and gender backgrounds. At the time of release, combined
1604:
1574:
1079:
986:
916:
1154:
838:
813:
1594:
1029:
873:
802:
961:
767:
1584:
884:
457:
192:
1440:
1589:
1012:
Waugh, Thomas (2002). "Mike
Hoolboom and the Second Generation of AIDS Films in Canada". In Beard, William; White, Jerry (eds.).
449:
Not all reviews were positive. The filmmaker Bart Testa gave a scathing review, describing
Hoolboom as a "magpie montagist" like
741:
941:
1599:
359:
350:
219:'s face fades in from a watery background, speaking of how he is not dying and the government is not working to save him.
180:
1146:
425:
423:
as showing
Hoolboom's expertise in "captivat his audience" through the personal approach used. Tom McSorley, writing in
429:, found the film "achingly personal" with a "cogent, courageous rendering" of an awareness that death awaits everyone.
1072:
1410:
1250:
402:
having been refactored to show the need to both live with AIDS and to remember those who had died of the disease.
1390:
1220:
1270:
746:
386:
1480:
1230:
924:
1530:
1320:
1280:
1210:
1133:
1065:
475:
was released as part of a two-disc DVD set of films and testimonials related to HIV/AIDS. Released by the
336:
846:
821:
1200:
993:
1500:
1490:
1360:
775:
1564:
1460:
963:
M'entendez-vous? Journée d'étude sur la culture du témoignage de la séropositivité au VIH au Québec
432:
The film scholar Thomas Waugh, writing about
Hoolboom's AIDS activism through his films, describes
394:
372:
289:
242:
227:
191:
was generally well received and won several awards, including Best
Canadian Short Film at the 1996
327:
The film's narration was primarily based on the speech "Why We Fight" by the LGBT rights activist
1420:
450:
412:
975:
1330:
1052:
1025:
1021:
869:
798:
1430:
1340:
1290:
1450:
1350:
1190:
1117:
184:
1240:
1101:
751:
438:
247:
1400:
1380:
1300:
968:
Can You Hear Me? A Journey of Study on the
Cultural Testimony of HIV Patients in Quebec
456:
The short was shown at numerous film festivals, both in Canada and abroad. At the 1996
355:
275:
256:
1558:
1089:
1014:
367:
363:
216:
208:
164:
32:
270:
238:
223:
1057:
863:
792:
1520:
1370:
1310:
1125:
949:
176:
536:
534:
532:
465:
328:
320:
48:
1470:
942:"Short Takes (Letters from home; Not Kokura; Lodela; One day I stood still)"
203:
After an initial voiceover following a dream in which the narrator chases a
899:
436:
as one of a "great AIDS triptych", together with
Hoolboom's earlier work
172:
1046:
742:"From Frank's Cock to Imitations of Life: Ten Years With Mike Hoolboom"
332:
204:
168:
1178:
Toronto
International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Short Film
974:(in French). Montreal: Université du Québec à Montréal. Archived from
580:
578:
1541:
Are You Scared to Be
Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?
479:
and subtitled by Waugh, the film was paired with Esther Vasquette's
794:
Reframing Bodies: AIDS, Bearing Witness, and the Queer Moving Image
706:
704:
346:
311:
237:
750:. No. 54. Documentary Organization of Canada. Archived from
540:
416:
212:
1150:
1061:
898:(1–2). Montreal: University of Montreal: 93–111. Archived from
647:
230:
relating how love can overcome the fear felt by AIDS victims.
1016:
North of everything : English-Canadian cinema since 1980
453:
with "dial-a-stylistic" touches found throughout the short.
507:
505:
503:
501:
349:
film and has a run length of 15 minutes. It intersperses
584:
960:
Mensah, Maria Nengeh; Gauvin, Marie-Eve, eds. (2010).
659:
553:
551:
549:
393:
Roger Hallas, director of the LGBT Studies Program at
923:. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from
774:. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from
595:
593:
171:
art community who deliver messages about living with
163:
is a 15-minute-long short film by Canadian director
710:
148:
140:
130:
106:
98:
90:
73:
65:
57:
38:
28:
23:
1020:. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. pp.
1013:
992:. Visions du RĂ©el. 1997. p. 3. Archived from
523:
868:. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
366:'s "Waiting for a Miracle", and references to
1162:
1073:
865:Touch: Sensuous Theory and Multisensory Media
167:. It follows a multitude of figures from the
8:
722:
511:
462:International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
1169:
1155:
1147:
1080:
1066:
1058:
20:
1610:English-language short documentary films
1615:Canadian LGBT-related documentary films
1511:Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice
497:
245:had previously worked with Hoolboom on
683:
635:
623:
557:
411:of misinformation. A writer from the
695:
671:
611:
599:
569:
7:
648:Visions du RĂ©el 1997, Mike Hoolboom
458:Toronto International Film Festival
193:Toronto International Film Festival
1441:The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer
14:
1580:Canadian LGBT-related short films
797:. Durham: Duke University Press.
541:Cole 2003/2004, From Frank's Cock
1570:Canadian short documentary films
892:Cinémas: Journal of Film Studies
740:Cole, Janis (Winter 2003–2004).
1605:English-language Canadian films
1575:Films directed by Mike Hoolboom
940:McSorley, Tom (22 March 1997).
814:"Letters from Home Description"
477:Université du Québec à Montréal
319:was based on a 1988 speech by
207:chocolate bar until he sees a
1:
885:"Loving a Disappearing Image"
187:, and other film techniques.
1595:1990s English-language films
1201:Shaggie: Letters from Prison
211:doctor who tells him he has
585:Hoolboom, Letters from Home
1631:
1585:HIV/AIDS in Canadian films
1411:Doubles with Slight Pepper
921:Canadian Film Encyclopedia
772:Canadian Film Encyclopedia
660:McSorley 1997, Short Takes
442:(1993) and the later clip
1184:
1096:
175:, which are spliced with
1590:1996 LGBTQ-related films
883:Marks, Laura U. (1997).
862:Marks, Laura U. (2002).
723:Mensah & Gauvin 2010
384:Janice Cole, writing in
1231:Save My Lost Nigga Soul
955:(subscription required)
711:TIFF, Letters from Home
1281:When Ponds Freeze Over
1211:The Making of Monsters
1134:Judy Versus Capitalism
791:Hallas, Roger (2009).
337:antiretroviral therapy
324:
252:
419:, Switzerland, noted
315:
241:
1600:1990s Canadian films
1501:Benjamin, Benny, Ben
927:on 22 February 2013
917:"Letters from Home"
778:on 22 February 2013
698:, pp. 426–427.
395:Syracuse University
290:Callum Keith Rennie
243:Callum Keith Rennie
228:Callum Keith Rennie
1421:Keep a Modest Head
1221:Letters of Transit
1088:Films directed by
915:McIntosh, Andrew.
849:on 28 January 2013
824:on 28 January 2013
524:TIFF, Frank's Cock
451:Bonnie Sherr Klein
358:'s 1958 cover of "
325:
253:
18:1996 Canadian film
1552:
1551:
1261:Letters from Home
1144:
1143:
1110:Letters from Home
1048:Letters from Home
1031:978-0-88864-390-2
999:on 20 August 2012
875:978-0-8166-3889-5
804:978-0-8223-4601-2
754:on 4 January 2013
473:Letters from Home
434:Letters from Home
421:Letters from Home
415:film festival in
399:Letters from Home
343:Letters from Home
339:was unavailable.
317:Letters from Home
224:World War II
189:Letters from Home
160:Letters from Home
156:
155:
83:Steve Sanguedolce
24:Letters from Home
1622:
1545:
1535:
1525:
1515:
1505:
1495:
1485:
1475:
1465:
1455:
1445:
1435:
1425:
1415:
1405:
1395:
1385:
1375:
1365:
1355:
1345:
1341:Man. Feel. Pain.
1335:
1325:
1315:
1305:
1295:
1285:
1275:
1265:
1255:
1245:
1235:
1225:
1215:
1205:
1195:
1171:
1164:
1157:
1148:
1082:
1075:
1068:
1059:
1035:
1019:
1008:
1006:
1004:
998:
991:
982:
981:on 4 March 2012.
980:
973:
956:
953:
952:on 9 April 2016.
948:. Archived from
936:
934:
932:
911:
909:
907:
889:
879:
858:
856:
854:
845:. Archived from
843:Official Website
837:Hoolboom, Mike.
833:
831:
829:
820:. Archived from
818:Official Website
812:Hoolboom, Mike.
808:
787:
785:
783:
763:
761:
759:
726:
720:
714:
708:
699:
693:
687:
681:
675:
669:
663:
657:
651:
645:
639:
633:
627:
621:
615:
609:
603:
597:
588:
582:
573:
567:
561:
555:
544:
538:
527:
521:
515:
512:Hoolboom, Script
509:
280:Rachael Glassman
122:
120:
21:
1630:
1629:
1625:
1624:
1623:
1621:
1620:
1619:
1555:
1554:
1553:
1548:
1538:
1528:
1518:
1508:
1498:
1488:
1478:
1468:
1458:
1448:
1438:
1428:
1418:
1408:
1398:
1388:
1378:
1368:
1358:
1348:
1338:
1328:
1318:
1308:
1298:
1288:
1278:
1268:
1258:
1248:
1238:
1228:
1218:
1208:
1198:
1191:Stealing Images
1188:
1180:
1175:
1145:
1140:
1092:
1086:
1043:
1038:
1032:
1011:
1002:
1000:
996:
989:
987:"Mike Hoolboom"
985:
978:
971:
959:
954:
939:
930:
928:
914:
905:
903:
902:on 5 March 2012
887:
882:
876:
861:
852:
850:
836:
827:
825:
811:
805:
790:
781:
779:
766:
757:
755:
739:
730:
729:
721:
717:
709:
702:
694:
690:
682:
678:
670:
666:
658:
654:
646:
642:
634:
630:
622:
618:
610:
606:
598:
591:
583:
576:
568:
564:
556:
547:
539:
530:
522:
518:
510:
499:
489:
413:Visions du RĂ©el
408:
382:
310:
236:
201:
185:archive footage
133:
126:
118:
116:
109:
86:
53:
19:
12:
11:
5:
1628:
1626:
1618:
1617:
1612:
1607:
1602:
1597:
1592:
1587:
1582:
1577:
1572:
1567:
1557:
1556:
1550:
1549:
1547:
1546:
1536:
1526:
1516:
1506:
1496:
1486:
1476:
1466:
1456:
1446:
1436:
1426:
1416:
1406:
1401:Little Flowers
1396:
1386:
1376:
1366:
1356:
1346:
1336:
1326:
1316:
1306:
1296:
1286:
1276:
1266:
1256:
1251:Reconstruction
1246:
1236:
1226:
1216:
1206:
1196:
1185:
1182:
1181:
1176:
1174:
1173:
1166:
1159:
1151:
1142:
1141:
1139:
1138:
1130:
1122:
1114:
1106:
1097:
1094:
1093:
1087:
1085:
1084:
1077:
1070:
1062:
1056:
1055:
1042:
1041:External links
1039:
1037:
1036:
1030:
1009:
983:
957:
937:
912:
880:
874:
859:
834:
809:
803:
788:
768:"Frank's Cock"
764:
736:
728:
727:
715:
700:
688:
676:
674:, p. 417.
664:
652:
640:
628:
616:
604:
589:
574:
572:, p. 421.
562:
545:
528:
516:
496:
495:
488:
485:
407:
404:
397:, writes that
381:
378:
370:'s 1927 novel
360:You've Changed
356:Billie Holiday
309:
306:
305:
304:
301:
298:
295:
292:
287:
284:
281:
278:
276:Allegra Fulton
273:
268:
265:
264:Paul Couillard
262:
259:
257:Cameron Bailey
235:
232:
200:
197:
154:
153:
150:
146:
145:
142:
138:
137:
134:
131:
128:
127:
125:
124:
112:
110:
107:
104:
103:
100:
96:
95:
92:
88:
87:
85:
84:
81:
77:
75:
74:Cinematography
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
59:
55:
54:
52:
51:
46:
42:
40:
36:
35:
30:
26:
25:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1627:
1616:
1613:
1611:
1608:
1606:
1603:
1601:
1598:
1596:
1593:
1591:
1588:
1586:
1583:
1581:
1578:
1576:
1573:
1571:
1568:
1566:
1563:
1562:
1560:
1543:
1542:
1537:
1533:
1532:
1527:
1523:
1522:
1517:
1513:
1512:
1507:
1503:
1502:
1497:
1493:
1492:
1487:
1483:
1482:
1477:
1473:
1472:
1467:
1463:
1462:
1457:
1453:
1452:
1447:
1443:
1442:
1437:
1433:
1432:
1427:
1423:
1422:
1417:
1413:
1412:
1407:
1403:
1402:
1397:
1393:
1392:
1391:Danse Macabre
1387:
1383:
1382:
1377:
1373:
1372:
1367:
1363:
1362:
1357:
1353:
1352:
1347:
1343:
1342:
1337:
1333:
1332:
1327:
1323:
1322:
1317:
1313:
1312:
1307:
1303:
1302:
1297:
1293:
1292:
1287:
1283:
1282:
1277:
1273:
1272:
1267:
1263:
1262:
1257:
1253:
1252:
1247:
1243:
1242:
1237:
1233:
1232:
1227:
1223:
1222:
1217:
1213:
1212:
1207:
1203:
1202:
1197:
1193:
1192:
1187:
1186:
1183:
1179:
1172:
1167:
1165:
1160:
1158:
1153:
1152:
1149:
1136:
1135:
1131:
1128:
1127:
1123:
1120:
1119:
1115:
1112:
1111:
1107:
1104:
1103:
1099:
1098:
1095:
1091:
1090:Mike Hoolboom
1083:
1078:
1076:
1071:
1069:
1064:
1063:
1060:
1054:
1050:
1049:
1045:
1044:
1040:
1033:
1027:
1023:
1018:
1017:
1010:
995:
988:
984:
977:
969:
965:
964:
958:
951:
947:
943:
938:
926:
922:
918:
913:
901:
897:
893:
886:
881:
877:
871:
867:
866:
860:
848:
844:
840:
835:
823:
819:
815:
810:
806:
800:
796:
795:
789:
777:
773:
769:
765:
753:
749:
748:
747:Point of View
743:
738:
737:
735:
734:
725:, p. 51.
724:
719:
716:
712:
707:
705:
701:
697:
692:
689:
686:, p. 30.
685:
680:
677:
673:
668:
665:
661:
656:
653:
649:
644:
641:
638:, p. 29.
637:
632:
629:
626:, p. 28.
625:
620:
617:
614:, p. 95.
613:
608:
605:
602:, p. 99.
601:
596:
594:
590:
586:
581:
579:
575:
571:
566:
563:
560:, p. 27.
559:
554:
552:
550:
546:
542:
537:
535:
533:
529:
525:
520:
517:
513:
508:
506:
504:
502:
498:
494:
493:
486:
484:
482:
478:
474:
469:
467:
463:
459:
454:
452:
447:
445:
441:
440:
435:
430:
428:
427:
422:
418:
414:
405:
403:
400:
396:
391:
389:
388:
387:Point of View
379:
377:
375:
374:
369:
368:Hermann Hesse
365:
364:Leonard Cohen
361:
357:
352:
351:found footage
348:
344:
340:
338:
334:
330:
322:
318:
314:
307:
302:
300:Mario Tenorio
299:
297:Andrew Scorer
296:
293:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
277:
274:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
258:
255:
254:
250:
249:
244:
240:
233:
231:
229:
225:
220:
218:
217:Mike Hoolboom
214:
210:
206:
198:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
165:Mike Hoolboom
162:
161:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
129:
123: (Canada)
114:
113:
111:
105:
101:
97:
94:Mike Hoolboom
93:
89:
82:
80:Mike Hoolboom
79:
78:
76:
72:
69:Mike Hoolboom
68:
64:
61:Mike Hoolboom
60:
58:Screenplay by
56:
50:
47:
45:Mike Hoolboom
44:
43:
41:
37:
34:
33:Mike Hoolboom
31:
27:
22:
16:
1539:
1529:
1519:
1509:
1499:
1489:
1479:
1469:
1459:
1449:
1439:
1429:
1419:
1409:
1399:
1389:
1379:
1369:
1359:
1349:
1339:
1329:
1319:
1309:
1299:
1289:
1279:
1271:Cotton Candy
1269:
1260:
1259:
1249:
1241:Frank's Cock
1239:
1229:
1219:
1209:
1199:
1189:
1132:
1124:
1116:
1109:
1108:
1102:Frank's Cock
1100:
1047:
1015:
1001:. Retrieved
994:the original
976:the original
967:
962:
950:the original
945:
929:. Retrieved
925:the original
920:
904:. Retrieved
900:the original
895:
891:
864:
851:. Retrieved
847:the original
842:
826:. Retrieved
822:the original
817:
793:
780:. Retrieved
776:the original
771:
756:. Retrieved
752:the original
745:
733:Bibliography
732:
731:
718:
691:
679:
667:
655:
643:
631:
619:
607:
565:
519:
491:
490:
481:Le RĂ©cit d'A
480:
472:
470:
455:
448:
443:
439:Frank's Cock
437:
433:
431:
424:
420:
409:
398:
392:
385:
383:
371:
345:was shot on
342:
341:
326:
316:
294:Jason Romily
271:Janieta Eyre
248:Frank's Cock
246:
221:
202:
188:
159:
158:
157:
132:Running time
108:Release date
15:
1481:Brotherhood
1311:FILM(dzama)
684:Hallas 2009
636:Hallas 2009
624:Hallas 2009
558:Hallas 2009
468:, Germany.
373:Steppenwolf
303:Kika Thorne
177:home videos
102:Earle Peach
66:Produced by
29:Directed by
1565:1996 films
1559:Categories
1531:Motherland
1331:Aspiration
1321:Blue Skies
696:Waugh 2002
672:Waugh 2002
612:Marks 1997
600:Marks 2002
570:Waugh 2002
487:References
466:Oberhausen
329:Vito Russo
321:Vito Russo
308:Production
283:Ed Johnson
267:Emma Davey
136:15 minutes
49:Vito Russo
39:Written by
1471:Pre-Drink
1291:Discharge
1003:20 August
931:20 August
906:20 August
853:20 August
828:20 August
782:17 August
758:16 August
492:Footnotes
406:Reception
286:Sally Lee
91:Edited by
1491:Delphine
1451:Overpass
1361:The Days
1351:Big Girl
946:Take One
839:"Script"
471:In 2010
426:Take One
261:Jan Bird
251:in 1993.
199:Synopsis
149:Language
99:Music by
1461:Mutants
1381:Block B
1301:The Hat
444:Positiv
333:Toronto
205:Cadbury
169:Toronto
152:English
141:Country
117: (
1544:(2024)
1534:(2023)
1524:(2022)
1514:(2021)
1504:(2020)
1494:(2019)
1484:(2018)
1474:(2017)
1464:(2016)
1454:(2015)
1444:(2014)
1434:(2013)
1424:(2012)
1414:(2011)
1404:(2010)
1394:(2009)
1384:(2008)
1374:(2007)
1364:(2006)
1354:(2005)
1344:(2004)
1334:(2003)
1324:(2002)
1314:(2001)
1304:(2000)
1294:(1999)
1284:(1998)
1274:(1997)
1264:(1996)
1254:(1995)
1244:(1994)
1234:(1993)
1224:(1992)
1214:(1991)
1204:(1990)
1194:(1989)
1137:(2020)
1129:(2009)
1121:(2002)
1113:(1996)
1105:(1993)
1028:
1024:–429.
970:]
872:
801:
209:masked
144:Canada
997:(PDF)
990:(PDF)
979:(PDF)
972:(PDF)
966:[
888:(PDF)
380:Style
347:16 mm
181:found
1521:Simo
1431:Noah
1371:Pool
1126:Mark
1053:IMDb
1026:ISBN
1005:2012
933:2012
908:2012
870:ISBN
855:2012
830:2012
799:ISBN
784:2012
760:2012
417:Nyon
234:Cast
213:AIDS
183:and
173:AIDS
119:1996
115:1996
1118:Tom
1051:at
1022:416
464:in
362:",
1561::
944:.
919:.
894:.
890:.
841:.
816:.
770:.
744:.
703:^
592:^
577:^
548:^
531:^
500:^
483:.
376:.
195:.
179:,
1170:e
1163:t
1156:v
1081:e
1074:t
1067:v
1034:.
1007:.
935:.
910:.
896:8
878:.
857:.
832:.
807:.
786:.
762:.
713:.
662:.
650:.
587:.
543:.
526:.
514:.
323:.
121:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.