Ari Aster's upcoming film *Eddington*, premiering at Cannes, uses David Wojnarowicz's 1988–89 artwork *Untitled (Buffalos)* as its poster image. The film, set in May 2020, follows a sheriff and mayor clashing over face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wojnarowicz's work, originally a critique of U.S. government indifference during the AIDS crisis, depicts bison falling off a cliff—a metaphor for societal collapse. The poster slightly alters the image, and A24, the production company, has not commented on the design.
The choice of Wojnarowicz's artwork matters because it draws a direct parallel between the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting government failures in both crises. Wojnarowicz's critique of the Reagan and Bush administrations resonates with the Trump administration's pandemic response. The image also has pop culture history, having been used on U2's 1992 single "One" to support AIDS research. This cross-media reference underscores how art can bridge historical and contemporary social issues, amplifying the film's themes of division and neglect.