He Never Dies Preview
On Friday September 5th, experimental filmmaker Kalil Haddad will be visiting Iowa City to showcase five of his short films entitled He Never Dies. This is followed by an after party put on by the techno group puddle.
On Friday September 5th, experimental filmmaker Kalil Haddad will be visiting Iowa City to present a showcase five of his short films entitled HE NEVER DIES: The Films of Kalil Haddad at FilmScene in the Chauncey. Hailing from Canada, Haddad’s work deals with tragedy, trauma, and memory, reconfigured through an abrasive, sometimes disturbed, collage-like style. He Never Dies presents five of Haddad’s recent shorts: The Taking of Jordan (All American Boy) (2022), His Smell (2023), The Boy Was Found Unharmed (2024), Victim of Circumstance (2024), and his newest film My Secret Boyfriend Died in a Mass Shooting (2025).
Reconfiguring and ransacking archival materials such as gay pornography, grainy still photography, news footage and autopsies, while set to soundtracks consisting of power electronic songs and chopped and screwed samples, his films are a vibrant assault on the senses. For fans of shock art and internet aesthetics, Haddad’s work signals the emergence of a promising provocateur and a radical new voice in queer film that is unafraid to explore the darkest sides of desire. The screening is at 7:00 PM and will be followed by an in-person Q&A. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. This event is presented by the Bijou Film Board.
Following the screening–in collaboration with the Iowa City based techno group puddle, there will be an afterparty held in Haddad's honor at the Wright House of Fashion. DJ sets will begin at 9:00 PM and last late into the night. Beyond just being a showcase of both Iowa City and Chicago’s techno talent, this event will highlight the best of what DIY art is and can be, both in sight and sound.
In tandem with the DJ sets, Kalil Haddad will also be projecting an art installation at the venue. Given his film’s stylistic concerns with visual and sonic collaging, harsh noise, and intense strobing, this event will allow the broader community to experience his artistic predilections in new, explosive contexts beyond the film screening. All are welcome. DJs include local artists Moreit and Pronoia, as well as Chicago based hardware duo easygoingtech and Henry Tegethoff. Tickets are $10, but there is a $5 discount if a Kalil Haddad screening ticket is presented at the door.
