Synopsis
Through a newspaper advertisement, Ruth Beckermann organizes a casting for a film based on a well-known pornographic text. For over a hundred years, the novel Josefine Mutzenbacher or The Story of a Viennese Whore has been the subject of controversy for its lustful depiction of child and female sexuality. Although it was banned for a time, it has also been celebrated as an important work of Viennese literature. The documentary captures the reactions of a hundred men confronted with extracts from the novel in the era of the #MeToo movement.
A word from Tënk
One hundred men between the ages of 16 and 99 parade before Ruth Beckermann’s motionless camera. Alone or in groups, actors or non-actors, the men are invited to sit on a rococo sofa and read aloud excerpts from an anonymous pornographic book about a young girl’s unbridled sex life. Discomfort, pleasure, fright and jubilation, the feelings accumulate in a dizzying fashion, creating an extraordinary voyeuristic experience. Mutzenbacher takes a playful, unsettling look at the sexuality and morality of men and viewers alike. Acuity, intelligence, the subtle art of provocation and the formidable relevance of the subject matter: are just some of the strengths that have earned the film a place in the FNC’s International Competition in 2022.
Zoé Protat
Programming Director
Festival du nouveau cinéma
