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Sadness (1999)

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Portrait of Allan

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

This clip features William Yang’s monologue about discovering his friend Allan has AIDS. Yang tells Allan’s story through photographic portraits of Allan as his succumbs to the disease.

Curator’s notes

by Susan Lambert

This scene is our entry into the film and it is confronting both stylistically and in its content. Yang’s deadpan delivery, as he stares straight into the camera at us, is direct and to the point. He tells us about his friend Allan and how AIDS finally took his life. It is a personal story that, through the telling, lays bare the horror of the AIDS epidemic and the toll it has taken on a community.

The tone of the film is set by this scene and it is compelling to watch it unfold. We are allowed into a private world of death and dying through the photographer’s intimate relationship with his subject. We know we are about to go on a journey that may take us to more sadness and loss but Yang’s very particular storytelling method gives us the confidence to go with him. In this sequence the filmmakers have honoured the strength of Yang’s storytelling as it was originally performed on stage.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. All rights are reserved.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may save, copy, print, distribute or download materials for your own personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes. Commercial exploitation of materials on this website is prohibited.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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