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Your new movie The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom)
- in a few words, what's it about?
The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom) is a cultural
manifesto of total contempt not only for mainstream cinema, but
also for so-called "independent" cinema, which supposedly
challenges conventional taboos but instead harnesses them through
non-offensiveness. This film breaks every paradigm of classical
cinema. It is a complete desertion of the concept of plot, story
and location development, and narrative structure in general. It
is an act of artistic terrorism against political correctness and
the entire repudiatory modern culture of inclusive and
non-offensive thought, where the filmmaker has complete freedom of
expression and invasive action towards anyone he chooses.
What were your sources of inspiration when writing
The Benefactress?
My inspiration for this film was born from my deep hatred for the
bourgeois conformism that has contaminated culture and art in general.
Given all the sex and violence in your movie, was there ever a red
line you refused to cross, however consciously or unconsciously?
In this film, I decided to cross the so-called red line, to the point that
I indulged in real sexual acts with co-star Mystery Woman (the victim),
ejaculated on the buttocks of protagonist Juicy X, masturbated during
filming, and maintained a strong erection during some of the most intense
sequences. My actresses were in for an insane wild ride and allowed
themselves to be directed according to my vision, totally outside of any 'gravitational' logic.
I've seen The
Benefactress labelled as horror somewhere - so do you find that
label fitting, and if so, what can you tell us about your movie's approach to the genre?
The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom) is more
horrific than horror. It aligns itself more closely with a certain
type of experimental, extreme cinema, a blend of arthouse, and
meta-cinema. The film is pure underground. It doesn't belong to a
specific genre or even clichés. This film is the ultimate expression of extreme experimentation.
Do talk about your overall directorial approach to your story at
hand! Even though I had dozens of pages of notes, when I got to the film set, I
decided not to follow any written instructions and instead let myself go
into what was ultimately total improvisation, scene by scene, letting my
most obscene sexual throes act as my 'orienting compass'. Every erection I
had became a command to my actresses about what I wanted them to do. The
energy on set was electric and absolutely explosive.
Given the disturbing nature of
The Benefactress,
how easy or hard was it to cast your movie?
Casting this film was a veritable nightmare, lasting over a year and with
nearly 200 female candidates for the roles. Many were fired on the spot
for simply showing "uncertainties" regarding nudity and hardcore sex
scenes. Others backed out, while some actresses were interested but wanted
to discuss the scenes with me, as if I were a democratic director, which
I'm not. I'm a dictator, and I demand that my actresses do what I say
without question. In the end, I chose Juicy X (who had previously starred
in my short film Corporate Torment - It Burns Like Hell)
and Mystery Woman for the role of the victim. Both actresses are British
and part of the mainstream UK scene, so to avoid problems, they used
aliases. I had to make changes in the film based on the specific qualities
of these two actresses, who managed to give truly powerful performances
with unprecedented visual impact. For the other supporting roles, I chose
non-professional actresses who were willing to let themselves go without
any shame. So what can you tell us about
The Benefactress's
cast, and why exactly these people?
In the end, my casting choice fell on Juicy X for the lead role. She is an
actress gifted with an intimidating presence, strong, powerful, and with a
cold, merciless expression. She is an actress capable of reaching the
pinnacle of cruelty without showing the slightest emotion. Her physicality
and her cold, lifeless gaze are exceptional virtues for a complex film
like this, where the performance is almost exclusively based on body
language. That said, there is a scene in the film where her character
shows a shred of humanity, but it is short-lived, after which her true,
cold, inhuman nature returns. As for Mystery Woman (the victim), she is a
middle-aged actress gifted not only with an exceptional body but also with
a unique femininity, capable of expressing vulnerability, suffering, and
agony She is a capable actress with a transformative ability like few
others. Her role in the film is extremely challenging because she had to
be able to convey emotion even while her face is covered by a mask. She
also went beyond protocol by allowing me to truly explore her exquisite
body, giving the film the touch of absolute realism we ultimately
achieved. I was blessed to have two such talented, strong and courageous
actresses. Two true professionals.
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A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
The atmosphere on set was fantastic. There were even occasional laughs,
like when lead actress Juicy X told me to stop pacing around with my erect
penis out during the break, or when one of us said something funny. But
otherwise, it was hard work, with everyone giving their all, and we worked
with the utmost professionalism without wasting time. Almost all the
scenes took just one take. That says it all.
The $64-question of course, where can
The Benefactress be
seen? The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom)
is distributed by Blood Pact Films, a company specializing in
independent cinema that wasn't afraid to take on such an unusual
experimental film, especially in extreme horror, which often has nothing
else besides the element of shock. I was blessed to find a distribution
company that appreciates such a unique and different film from the norm.
Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of
The Benefactress?
This film is attracting, as I expected, both high praise and strong
criticism. The praise comes from those more receptive to unconventional
films, while the criticism comes from those who enjoy more classically
structured cinema, including horror. This is a highly experimental film,
and it's certainly not my intention to make something like this to please
an audience that gets turned on by super-gore junk or sensationalism in
general. The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom) is for an
exclusive, non-mass audience. Any future projects you'd like to share?
This is my second and final feature film. After this, a book about my
cinema will be published by award-winning writer Del Gibson, titled
Searching for the Perfect Butterfly - The Visionary Cinema of Underground
Filmmaker Guerrilla Metropolitana. As for my post-film work, it will
be in experimental photography. So a new journey of exploration and
research will begin.
What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you
receive any formal training on the subject?
Cinema has always been a deep love of mine. My background is art and
music. The transition to film was natural. I'm a self-taught filmmaker.
The type of cinema I wanted to make isn't taught in film school. It's in
my head. From the type of direction, the narrative minimalism, the
editing, the use of sound, the cinematography, etc. My cinema is born and
dies with me. It can't have clones. What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to
The Benefactress?
My previous film is Dariuss. It's an extremely complex work,
conceived based on the viewer's cerebral response. It's therefore
completely irrational from a narrative perspective, but on the
contrary, it has its own logic when viewed from the perspective of
individual perception. That film also drew widespread praise and
criticism from more traditionalists. The film has practically
become a modern cult classic of extreme arthouse and has been
distributed internationally by multiple companies, as well as
being available on streaming. Before Dariuss, however, my very
first works were experimental horror shorts.
How would you describe yourself as a director? Different.
Filmmakers who inspire you? My inspiration comes more from painting than from cinema.
Your favourite movies? There are many, from
Cannibal Holocaust to
I Spit on Your
Grave (the original from '78), up to the French nouvelle
vague films, the expressionist ones of the 20s. The list is long.
... and of course, films you really deplore?
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Almost all modern horror films. I find them devoid of artistry. Pure
garbage sold as if it were good cinema. Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?
The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom) can be
found on the Blood Pact Films website and on the internet in general.
Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I'd say we've said it all.
Thanks for the interview! Thank you!
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