Baldiga - Entsichertes Herz

West Berlin, 1979. Jürgen Baldiga, the son of a miner from Essen, has just moved to the city and decides to become an artist. He works as a male prostitute and a cook, writes poetry, and keeps a diary. In 1984, after testing positive for HIV, he discovers photography. His images are meant to freeze time and capture reality: they depict his friends and lovers, wild sex, and life on the streets—and, time and again, the lustful queens of the SchwuZ gay club, who become his chosen family. Caught between despair and desire, rebellion and an indomitable will to survive, Baldiga—in the face of his own impending death—becomes a chronicler of West Berlin’s subculture. When he died in 1993 at the age of 34, he left behind thousands of photographs and 40 diaries. Drawing on Baldiga’s poetic writings and unflinching images, as well as the memories of those who walked alongside him, the documentary portrays the artist not only as a groundbreaking photographer but also as an AIDS activist and a dedicated fighter against the stigmatization of gay lifestyles. A sensitive and authentic portrait of a radical and complex artist—and of the legendary gay West Berlin scene of the ’80s and early ’90s. (Stein, D 2024 – FSK 16 – Original with subtitles)

More information: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldiga_%E2%80%93_Entsichertes_Herz
Vimeo Trailer: https://vimeo.com/951117219
We are screening the film in its original German language with English subtitles.