Here, privacy coordinators are not optional. It’s written in black and white in its guidelines: all the films it produces must use their services. To understand why, feminist porn pioneer Swedish Erika Lust wrote to our questions *.
For starters, can you remind us of what brought you to porn cinema in general, and feminist porn in particular?
It goes back to my studies in political science and gender studies at Lund University in Sweden, actually. It was around this time that I realized that most of the porn movies that you find on the internet do not reflect a sexual reality at all, but rather an ideology, values and opinions. So my interest in the genre started pretty early on, but it wasn’t until much later that it translated into my career. After my studies, therefore, I moved to Barcelona to study cinema, while continuing to be interested in female sexuality and all this pornographic discourse. And when I was asked to make a short film, I immediately knew that I wanted to do something around female sexuality. And the best way to do it: by making an adult movie! I wanted to do something completely different. A film according to my tastes, expressing my values, to show the importance of feminine pleasure. This is how I realized The Good Girl, published online, a phenomenon which then went viral in just a few weeks.
Can you define feminist porn? How is consent at the heart of the genre?
Feminist porn cinema (as varied and artistically diverse as it is) is originally defined in opposition to a genre, traditionally the exclusive domain of cisgender men, to infuse it with a different perspective on the representation of sexuality. Feminist porn aims to portray consenting, honest and respectful adults in the expression of their desires and their sexualities. All in egalitarian sexual relations. And yes, indeed, consent is presented here clearly as a priority, instead of the trivialization of the simulation of coercion, pedophilia or abuse. I also always make sure that there are women behind the camera to make the decisions. The feminine gaze (female gauze) is essential to shake up the porn status quo. Having women, but also minorities and LGBTQ + people, behind the camera makes it possible to rewrite these scenarios and offer something completely different. As my spaces and offices are 80% feminine or LGBTQ +, I work so that the feminine and queer gaze is now the norm, and no longer the exception.
Which brings us to the privacy coordinators. Since when do you require them and why?
We felt the need to include privacy coordinators on sets when working with guest directors on XConfessions. Some of these directors had never worked on erotic films with adult performers, and therefore did not necessarily know how to handle scenes of sexuality or conversations around intimacy, limits, sexual health, etc. The whole team of such an adult movie set must be aware of the complexities of the job, in order to maintain a safe environment for all. And the privacy coordinators are there for that. Indeed, it is an essential requirement to work as a guest director in my productions.
PHOTO MONICA FIGUERAS, SUPPLIED BY ERIKA LUST
According to Erika Lust, an intimacy coordinator is essential on a film set if the production includes sexuality.
And concretely, what does the presence of these coordinators change on the course of the shoot and the final result?
The presence of the intimacy coordinator assures us that the actors will be taken care of at all times, and that they will have all the freedom to explore their sexuality in complete safety and comfort. Because of the very nature of our shoots, it is essential to have someone on set with such a role: to constantly ensure that the actors actively consent to scenes dictated by the director. You really don’t want someone to feel like you have to do anything. Nor should anyone be worried or uncomfortable for any reason. In general, we want actors to feel free to express their opinions and feelings at all times, without ever having the impression of bothering with their needs.
The coordination of intimacy is not yet established on a large scale, at least not here, on the Quebec plateaus. How do you explain your avant-garde?
It’s a growing profession in Hollywood, but still very nested almost everywhere else, especially in Europe, and even more so on adult film sets. Fortunately, more and more people in my industry are questioning themselves, in order to participate in this wind of change in the shooting of pornography in general, and in the treatment of performers in particular. Several performers who arrive on our sets for the first time also say they are pleasantly surprised to be treated by such a large team, and so respectful of their needs. I think promoting Intimacy Coordinators is part of this wind of change in the porn industry, which was the very origin of my entry into the profession over 20 years ago. I’m working to get porn seen as a respectable genre, and I believe that in order to do that, it is necessary to invest in talented teams, and above all, to bring ethics into production, above all. Performers are professionals, but they are humans with lives above all else. This is why we owe it to ourselves to support them physically and emotionally before, during and after the shootings.
Finally, can you tell me a word about the Bruce LaBruce film?
Bruce has made us some of the sexiest shorts ever on XConfessions, and I’m so excited about this first collaboration with Lust Cinema! Bruce knows how to push the limits and he is always in the innovation, and I really like his artistic and political vision. But you will have to wait until his film hits theaters to find out more. All I can tell you for now is that it promises!
* Comments have been translated from English and summarized for brevity.