Film

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

DEC 2023

“Every time I go through something scary, traumatic, I survive by taking pictures.”

– Nan Goldin

For this December issue of Funga, I have decided to give a few extra gifts, aka more films and music for the holidays. I recently watched All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, an Oscar-nominated HBO original documentary and deeply personal story of photographer Nan Goldin’s life, career, and activism.

I felt it was a great documentary to share on the platform for a few different reasons. Firstly, the story revolves a lot around Goldin’s latest work, which is her role in fighting the Sackler family for their role in causing the opioid epidemic. Goldin founded the group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) in 2017 after her addiction to Oxycontin. “P.A.I.N. specifically targets museums and other arts institutions to hold the art community accountable for its collaboration with the Sackler family and its well-publicized financial support of the arts. Since P.A.I.N.’s activities, most of the targeted museums have severed all ties with the Sackler family and in 2021, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy.” Addressing opioid addiction has consistently been a cause that resonates with me, and I strive to combat it by advocating for alternative approaches to mental health and addressing the broader sense of disconnection prevalent in our world.

I also love the type of people she gravitates towards – creative minds and free spirits, often overlooked by societal norms. She has a beautiful way of capturing them in their deep expressions of attitude, performance and craft. I hope this documentary opens your mind in more ways than one; it did for me!