"BREAKING THE PORN-STIGMA"

Interview + Text Michael Haller

Realität und Natürlichkeit findet man in Gay Pornos selten. Viele Filme sind mit makellosen Typen, Männern mit gestählten Oberkörpern und Six-Packs besetzt. Doch die Realität sieht meist anders aus und Porno ist nicht gleich Porno – zumindest nicht, wenn es nach Filmemacher Noel Alejandro geht. Der unabhängige Regisseur, der seit 2012 zwischen Barcelona und Berlin arbeitet, sorgt immer wieder für Aufsehen in der Filmbranche – zuletzt mit dem Streifen “Serodiscordantes”. Sein Anspruch: Filme, die über das Explizite hinausgehen und dabei einfache und natürliche Szenen zeigen. Mit dieser realistischen Darstellungsweise trifft Noel immer wieder ins Schwarze und hat so einen eigenen Stil entwickelt, der mittlerweile zu seinem Markenzeichen geworden ist. Was der Filmemacher über seine Arbeit zu sagen hat? Wir haben ihn getroffen …

What qualifies as good pornography to you?

 Good pornography to me does not need to be beautifully shot or have a narrative and good performance. I ask the subjects of a sex movie to be totally into what they’re doing, I don’t want to see fake pleasure while they’re having sex. When the actors are totally dedicated to the experience, the audience will feel the attraction in a very powerful way. I also like body diversity, it’s so much more relatable.

How did you start your career? Did you start out as an amateur DYI-ing with a camera in your bedroom or did you go to a film school?

 It was actually very DIY, just boosted by a passion for narrative and good photography. I never attended a proper film school, I managed to learn some basics and that was enough to get started. I also used to write stories and tales. I was never very social, so I enjoyed video editing as it didn’t require a lot of human contact. I truly enjoyed generating a rhythm, mixing images of existing movies, dialogues, adding music, re-cutting video trailers and all that. It was revelatory of my later penchant for making my own films, I suppose. I was working as a video editor for Erika Lust when I first became interested in making my own films, and my debut “Eloi & Biel” followed soon after.

I don’t prioritize hypersexualized bodies

 Mainly because that’s been so many times. Also, when you take a closer look at my work, you’ll see that it’s not sex-centered. Therefore, I don’t prioritize hypersexualized bodies. I center my work on the mysteries and the beauty of the human condition, the secrets of our connection with each other and with ourselves. All those things that truly captivate me and that are worth examining and talking about. What is the point of only showing two people having sex?

This gives your pornographic films a very real and intimate feel. Are the actors in your work professionals or amateurs that are friends of yours?

I mostly work with dancers, models and other artists far from the industry. It also contributes to my movies looking and feeling different. The mainstream porn industry prioritizes physical attractiveness and sexual attributes rather than the development of other aspects. Most of the time they are slaves of their physical appearance and because of that, they all somehow manage to become very similar to each other.

Do you have a special message that you want your films to transport?

Somehow, my films are least concerned with satisfying certain pleasures, that’s not really their purpose. I try my best not to sexualize my characters. You won’t see any typical cliche situation in my work. I feel especially ashamed when the sexual aspect of a a “post-porn” doesn’t have any kind of reason.

Current gay porn often shows situations that are anything but real or natural. How problematic do you think this is?

I’m not here to tell others how to make their films. But if you do a rational analysis of the current industry you might see that it has fallen into some sort of unrealistic cliches and lazy cinematography (or total lack of it). There are not many alternatives, even today.

What do you think needs to change in the porn industry in order for it to be more inclusive and not just show these muscular bodies all the time?

There are different reasons that keep the standards the way they are. Firstly, most porn actors are not required to develop their intellect or their culture so the ones that focus on their porn careers will focus on their bodies. Secondly, somehow most of the people will prefer hot and athletic bodies as it satisfies their instinctive and primitive needs. Thirdly, and most importantly, the sex industry is part of the wheel of capitalism, which is kind of lazy and prioritizes money. So it’s obvious that the industry is failing to grow artistically. I find that the industrialization of porn created these standards. What we need is more directors with a clear vision who want to offer alternatives to the current standard of porn, and who are willing to make an actual change to the status quo.

Do you have any experience with actors who had some inhibitions on set? If so, how do you handle these situations during a shoot?

I always try to create a warm atmosphere, I keep the number of members in my crew as low as possible during the actual sex scenes, only the mandatory ones are allowed to stay in the room. I don’t really direct the sex between the actors, we just set up a space where they can move and focus. Once we are filming, we just follow their movements. If they have any problems or need more time, we just try to give them what they need. We never, ever pressure them.

As a pornography director you offer sex to viewers who are necessarily emotionally involved. Is sex without emotions even possible?

Sex without emotions could easily be called bad sex. It’s easy to target those movies quickly. My films are thought through and are made in a way that lets most people see the strong connection the performers share.

Where does intimacy end and pornography begin?

Pornography is intimate, so I can’t really define where the line between intimacy and the public is. Is a porn movie obscene? What makes something obscene is the context. It also depends on who is analyzing it. It is clearly subjective, we all have our own limits. Let’s imagine I’m having a cup of coffee with my mother and suddenly some pornographic images appear on TV – of course it would feel weird to me, perhaps even obscene. If I’m around my friends I’m more open about a variety of topics I would never bring up around my mother. When I am with a lover, the kind of emotions I allow myself to access includes sexual excitement. In this context I would rarely define some sexual images as obscene. The context and your own limits will mark what can be declared as intimate, too intimate or directly pornographic.

How has pornography and its exposure in social media changed over the last few years?

There are guidelines of what is admissible in a public context and what isn’t, but these guidelines are inherently arbitrary. We all have different limits and social media is a shared space where we all want to fit in. A part of society is taking considerable steps in order to push these boundaries, but there’s always an opposing side that pushes in the other direction. Who is right? Why we can’t tolerate sexual behaviors in public? Where’s the limit? Is it going to keep moving forward or backward? Who does this depend on?

I think we need to walk in other people’s shoes in order to be able to decide what the best course of action is. Of course, not everyone is willing to be exposed to sexual diversity, and denying this diversity is easier for most people than to face it and understand it. Some sexual behaviors in art are marginalized and pushed to very specific channels, while other heteronormative ones are very out in the open, and that’s not really fair.

Thank you for the interview, Noel