Between 1960 and 1980, Italian pornographers were not purely interested in money. In this review containing many uncensored excerpts, they link their films – often illegal at the time – with the battle for political, cultural and personal freedoms. They include the pioneer Lasse Braun, who inspired the Danish parliament to decriminalise pornography; Giuliana Gamba, the first female porno director in Italy; and Riccardo Schicchi, who helped porn star Cicciolina (later the muse of Jeff Koons) to become a member of the Italian parliament. Film critic Marco Giusti points out that arthouse films like Last Tango in Paris (1972) transgress the same sexual boundaries. Bertolucci declares on archive footage: “Pornography should be entirely liberated!”
There’s no mention of abuse in porn productions. There are feminist objections and writer Helena Velena regrets the fact that “show business managed to remove the subversive and vibrant power that porn had”.
Film details
- Country of production
- Italy
- Year
- 2016
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2016
- Length
- 78"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
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