Tributes Paid to French Gay Film Hero

The French speaking LGBTQ+ world has paid tribute to the gay film-maker Paul Vecchiali who has passed on at the age of ninety-two.  Mr Vecchiali made his first film in 1961, but it was in the nineteen eighties that he was most active with Wikipedia noting “Paul Vecchiali has made more than fifty films (including his television productions), addressing the themes of AIDS, sexuality (gay, bi or asexuality), the death penalty and religion. His cinema is inspired by the French cinema of the 1930s, with an experimental touch and autobiography.”  Films such as 1988’s “Encore” explore gay life during the troubled times of the AIDS pandemic, but also emphasise autonomy and a positive gay identity.  He is survived by his partner, Malik Saad.