In 1985, François Morellet opened Florent in an old diner in New York's Meat Packing District. In 2008, cornered by luxury businesses and rent rises, he closed down. During those years, Florent opened 24 hours a day among butcher's shops, transsexual prostitutes and gay bars. It was visited by all the celebrities in the city, from Calvin Klein to Sarah Jessica Parker, from Julianne Moore to Cyndi Lauper, who mingled with the most eccentric crowd.

Half American diner, half French bistrot, decorated with maps drawn by the owner, with philosophical/absurd notes about politics or his T-cell levels, it transformed into the epicenter of queer activism, of the fight against AIDS and of the emerging art life. Its memorable Bastille Day parties filled the street with drag queens dressed up as Marie Antoinette. Florent reminds us of the unique value of festive activism and the need to break up with the rules.