For four decades, Ira Sachs has chronicled queer life in New York, shining a light on the artists and iconoclasts whose work gives the city such a vibrant, transgressive edge.
“The Man I Love,” which Sachs describes as one of his most personal films, adds to the canon. Set in the 1980s at the height of the AIDS crisis, it follows Jimmy George, a downtown performer who is dying of the virus but desperate to take on one final role. The 60-year-old Sachs drew on his own experiences starting out in theater and film at that time to shape the story.
“I moved to New York in 1988, and the city was both dark and also full of life,” Sachs says. “People knew they could be next; death was all around them. But it led to this explosion of creativity. And this film is about what it means to live a creative life and what it means to work, which is what most of my films are about.”
“The Man I Love” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where Sachs’ direction, as well as the central performance of Rami Malek as Jimmy earned some of the strongest reviews of their careers. Sachs spoke with Variety during the production of “The Man I Love,” as well as on the eve of its premiere.
When it was announced, “The Man I Love” was described as a musical fantasy. Is that how you describe the finished film?
