Synopsis
When I was a child, I secretly looked through a feminist book owned by my mum. Pornography was graphically presented as a vicious tool for the abuse and objectification of women. What I saw deeply affected me.
All through my youth, I was bombarded by degrading images of women’s bodies presented by the Italian television. These images troubled me and left me wondering: “Was that porn too?”.
I’ve always perceived pornography as an exploitative expression of male power and as a sexual act ‘done’ to female bodies. I would have never imagined that it could be used to inspire women to explore their sexuality. Until I met filmmaker Jennifer Lyon Bell and performers Sadie Lune and Parker Marx, who radically challenged my views.
Jennifer, Sadie and Parker share a common journey. They embrace pornography steered by deeper drives than just money making. In porn, they find a form of expression and a space for self-realization, as well as a provocative tool for activism. They belong to a growing community of porn makers, who are determined to subvert the dominant male gaze and the misogyny often inherent in adult entertainment. Also, they fight to assure ethical working conditions and a safe space for performers to express their own sexuality.
Jennifer, Sadie and Parker allow me into their private life, bring me along on porn sets and draw me into their creative process. I follow their intertwined journey, as well as their struggle for financial survival in a field dominated by male-oriented pornography. I explore the consequences of their controversial choices, as they face stigma and fight for acceptance.
Throughout the film, they unveil their unique individuality, peeling off not their clothes but the layers constructed around their public personas, in a sort of ‘identity striptease’. I also strip off my own preconceived ideas and question my normative conformity, to explore my sexuality and find out where I truly stand on subjects like intimacy, pornography and monogamy.
All through my youth, I was bombarded by degrading images of women’s bodies presented by the Italian television. These images troubled me and left me wondering: “Was that porn too?”.
I’ve always perceived pornography as an exploitative expression of male power and as a sexual act ‘done’ to female bodies. I would have never imagined that it could be used to inspire women to explore their sexuality. Until I met filmmaker Jennifer Lyon Bell and performers Sadie Lune and Parker Marx, who radically challenged my views.
Jennifer, Sadie and Parker share a common journey. They embrace pornography steered by deeper drives than just money making. In porn, they find a form of expression and a space for self-realization, as well as a provocative tool for activism. They belong to a growing community of porn makers, who are determined to subvert the dominant male gaze and the misogyny often inherent in adult entertainment. Also, they fight to assure ethical working conditions and a safe space for performers to express their own sexuality.
Jennifer, Sadie and Parker allow me into their private life, bring me along on porn sets and draw me into their creative process. I follow their intertwined journey, as well as their struggle for financial survival in a field dominated by male-oriented pornography. I explore the consequences of their controversial choices, as they face stigma and fight for acceptance.
Throughout the film, they unveil their unique individuality, peeling off not their clothes but the layers constructed around their public personas, in a sort of ‘identity striptease’. I also strip off my own preconceived ideas and question my normative conformity, to explore my sexuality and find out where I truly stand on subjects like intimacy, pornography and monogamy.
Gallery
