The Last Supper (1994 film)
Encyclopedia
Plot
Chris is a dancer dying of AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Before his assisted suicide
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
he shares a last meal with his lover Val (J.D. Nicholsen).
Production
The Last Supper is adapted from the TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
play of the same name by Hillar Liitoja. The same actors perform in the film as in the play. It was shot in real time and set entirely in one room in a Toronto hospice. Ken McDougall died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
complications four days after filming finished.
Reception
The Last Supper won the Teddy AwardTeddy Award
The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival . Here, an "independent jury" implies that its members are not officially selected by the committee of the Berlinale...
for Best Feature Film at the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
. Time Out called the film "simple but devastating study of the human condition in extremis". Variety called it "an important addition to the growing body of pix about AIDS-related issues" but said that it may be too gruelling for some viewers.