Césars: 120 BPM director Robin Campillo calls for reform of the 1970 law

The 2018 César Awards recognized the film *120 Beats Per Minute*, which chronicled part of ACT UP’s struggle against AIDS and for patient care, with six awards, including Best Film.

Some of the award recipients used their 2 minutes and 30 seconds on stage to address current controversies: sexual harassment, the reception of migrants, and disruptions to the ceremony…

In his acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay, Robin Campillo did not forget his roots in activism and called, in particular, for the reform of the 1970 law, which currently prohibits, among other things, the use (possession and consumption) of cannabis.

«In Cannes, as I sat in the theater watching the film, I got the impression that all the issues people were talking about back then—drug addicts, prostitutes, foreigners […]—are still relevant 25 years later.»

«And all these issues—for example, regarding drug addiction, we now talk about drug users—and indeed, in the 1990s there were needle-exchange programs that drastically reduced the HIV prevalence rate among drug users—but we’re still operating under the 1970 law, which means there’s a total ban, we’re really in a purely repressive system, and we continue to put drug users at risk, while the measures have no effect on drug trafficking.»

Robin Campillo also takes a swipe at the law criminalizing the clients of sex workers, which has led to greater precariousness for sex workers without providing them with greater protection against HIV, as well as the upcoming immigration law, which will «be even worse than what’s happening now.».

The director mentioned the existence of organizations, such as drug users, and concluded his remarks by saying that «it’s time to listen to them because, just like 25 years ago, silence equals death.»

Newsweed invites you to watch his speech below.