Ira Sachs’ ‘The Man I Love’ premieres at NYFF64

Director Ira Sachs’ new film, ‘The Man I Love’, premiered at the 64th New York Film Festival. The production features Rami Malek as Jimmy George, a performance artist living with AIDS in 1980s New York.

Set within the city’s downtown performance scene, the story explores themes of art, desire, and intimacy amidst the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The film focuses on the specific details of individual lives and creative ambition rather than treating the era solely as a historical tragedy. The cast includes Tom Sturridge, Luther Ford, and Rebecca Hall.

Sachs, who has roots in the New York art community, aimed to capture the local quality of the era’s art scene, where works were often created for immediate community engagement rather than global audiences.