Keep the Lights On

Keep the Lights On is a 2012 American drama film written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias and directed by Sachs. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and was released on September 7, 2012 by Music Box Films. The film stars Thure Lindhardt as Erik, a Danish filmmaker living in New York City to work on a documentary film about artist Avery Willard; while there, he enters into a loving but complicated long-term relationship with Paul (Zachary Booth), a lawyer in the publishing industry who struggles with drug addiction. The film's cast also includes Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Paprika Steen, David Anzuelo, Maria Dizzia, and Miguel Del Toro. The film is based on Sachs' own past relationship with Bill Clegg, a literary agent who published his own memoir about his struggles with addiction, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, in 2010. Plot In 1998, Danish artist Erik living in New York City meets Paul, a lawyer, through a phone sex hotline. Attracted to each other, they share an intimate moment and sex. Erik later visits a man named Russ who seems more interested in showing off his muscles to Erik than having sex. Erik sees Paul again and tells him about how he broke up with his ex-boyfriend Paolo, who was HIV-positive. Erik confides to his friend Claire on how he is happier with Paul than he was with Paolo. Paul asks Erik to keep quiet about his drug use and gets Erik high. Paul, who has been closeted, sees his ex-girlfriend while visiting an art gallery with Erik. Paul avoids introducing Erik to his ex, by walking to a section of the gallery out of sight.