BPM is the story of young French activists who formed the ACT UP campaign to fight against the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s, by holding peaceful but emotionally-charged protests. We follow their desperate efforts to raise awareness of the inadequate efforts of politicians and companies to recognise the seriousness of AIDS in the French community. They are not only motivated by the disease itself, but must fight equally against the homophobia that still existed overtly at the time, which was brought to the forefront by their campaign.

BPM won multiple awards at France’s prestigious César Awards, including Best Film, due to its raw young talent, whose intense vulnerability makes the ultimate fate of the characters so moving.

Standout performances by Biscayart and Valois turn the film from a standard biopic into an electric and sensual drama. The intense meetings of ACT UP and intimate moments with the pair portray the energy of youth with an exquisite power, managing to captivate for the whole of its two-hour-plus runtime. Its atmospheric cinematography adds to the tension and captures the presence of its young actors with a delightful realism, reminding audiences of how it feels to live in the moment.