The ghost of "patient zero", who allegedly first brought AIDS to North America - materialises and tries to contact old friends. Meanwhile, the Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton, who drank from the Fountain of Youth and now works as Chief Taxidermist at the Toronto Natural history Museum, is trying to organise an exhibition about the disease for the museum's "Hall of Contagion".
Writing
Lyrics that weaponize camp against medical homophobia—sharp as hell.
Production
Zero-budget AIDS musical that out-creates most $100M spectacles.
Acting
Fauteux's Zero: charming, furious, heartbreaking, dead, alive, everything.
Director
John Greyson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made in direct response to Randy Shilts's 'And the Band Played On,' which popularized the 'Patient Zero' myth—this film is essentially a 100-minute musical correction.
John Greyson shot most scenes at the actual Royal Ontario Museum, smuggling his crew in during off-hours for the hallucinatory taxidermy sequences.
CA
