Nan Goldin is an American photographer and activist whose work explores queer subcultures, moments of intimacy, relationships of gay men during the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, an autobiographical slideshow, is her most notable work and is dedicated to the post-Stonewall gay subculture, the heroin subculture of the Bowery neighborhood, and Goldin’s personal family and love life.
Goldin’s activism began in 2017 when she formed the campaign group P.A.I.N (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) to take down the Sackler family name for their involvement in fueling the opioid crisis through the production of their prescription painkiller, OxyContin. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, documents Goldin’s efforts to hold the Sackler name accountable.
The film, which has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, features Goldin’s narration and photography. Each of the film’s seven chapters includes a photographic sequence or archival footage of a period of Goldin’s life and transitions to footage of her recent protests with P.A.I.N. The documentary also includes footage of P.A.I.N. demonstrations, including its first protest at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2018, as well as similar demonstrations at the Louvre and the Guggenheim Museum.
Goldin’s activism with P.A.I.N. has had a significant impact in getting institutions like the Met, the Guggenheim, and the Louvre to remove the Sackler name from their buildings. In 2021, Purdue Pharma, which is owned by the Sackler family, filed for bankruptcy. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed premieres on HBO on March 19 and will also be available to stream on HBO Max thereafter.
