Erika Lust | A review
In one of my first posts, I had promised a review of Erika Lust.
Now, to prove just how serious I am about my porn (and my promises), Xander and I have devoted months of diligent research -alright, on some occasions I was watching without Xander- before we felt prepared to give you our full and unbiased opinion about the Barcelona-based Swedish erotic film director. Our review is finally ready -although I don’t predict we’ll stop watching her films any time soon!
The concept
Erika Lust creates ethically responsible and aesthetically attentive adult cinema. Her porn has a clear female flair. Don’t be fooled by the word ‘female’ though. Erika does not make soft porn. And she certainly does not shy away from explicit, illustrative details.
The actors performing in her films are carefully chosen. They might not all appeal to you. And be warned, they are not all stylized and non-descript. Some of them are chubby. Or skinny. With multiple tattoos or piercings. Clean shaved or hairy. Their performance might not give you a quick fix, if this is what you are after. But they are all real people, perfect with their imperfections, having real sex and this makes the films incredibly arousing. Erika Lust gives attention to the scenario of her films and because she makes a conscious choice for quality she has the luxury to put together an artistic setting for all of them. In short, she is a woman on a mission: to change porn!
Erika Lust’s filmography comprises dozens of feature films, short films and compilations and most of them have won multiple awards. She has written books on feminist porn, she runs a blog, she has appeared on Ted-X and also runs an online store. For this review, we chose two of her most characteristic projects.
Barcelona Sex Project
The Barcelona Sex Project is one of her first films, a mixture of documentary and porn, dating back from 2008. However, it hasn’t lost any of its relevance; it’s a classic. It’s typical of how Erika Lust treats…well… lust itself really. Six actual Barcelonés, three women and three guys, open up in front of her lens, tell us about their lives and then proceed to take off their clothes and show us how they like to masturbate. Delicious.
XConfessions
The Xconfessions series is our favourite: 12 volumes of short films and still counting. The idea behind Xconfessions is simple and interactive. People confess to Erika their secret fantasies. And Erika makes a short film out of them. In some cases starring the very people who had the fantasy. A pianist fantasising about giving a concert in a packed music hall, while a guy under her piano makes her reach climax. A dark Southern beauty invited to a hot chef’s kitchen who first cooks for her and then has hot-chef sex with her. A blond Eastern girl in an erotic triangle with a woman and a guy with the same name. And so many more. An erotic series to savour!
Couple love and shout-out for performers
Erika is always on the lookout for real couples with chemistry between them to perform in her films. Admit it. Somewhere, deep inside, you are tempted, aren’t you? I know we are.
Value for money
Downloading or streaming Barcelona Sex Project costs around 12 EUR whereas the last volume of Xconfessions will cost you around 18 EUR. For a porn movie it’s not cheap, especially at the age of free Internet porn, but trust me you’ll see the difference. It is a lot of work to make good porn -any good movie for that matter- and all parties involved need to be properly compensated. Quality costs, but it’s worth it.
{Aliki} – I am not an avid porn fan, but certain images from Xconfessions have stayed with me. Apart from her artistic take, what I mostly like about Erika Lust’s work is that she takes porn out of the shadows. Sex, sexuality, and decent porn as a part thereof, should have the space they are entitled to in our lives.
{Xander} –Erika Lust has elevated porn to an art form and has made it unisex. I mean it is the kind of porn that Aliki and I enjoyed watching together without being subjected to outsized members, boobs so fake that they are a public hazard and actors who are clearly performing for a camera. Watching Ms. Lust’s movies, I have the impression that the actors are truly enjoying themselves
Our Verdict: 84%
Sexy factor: ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
User-friendliness: ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ◊
Originality: ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Artistic factor: ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Value for money: ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ◊ ◊
Photo credit: Pixabay & Couple of Secrets
