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In English they are known as

, whose literal translation (suitcase pimp) is not clear if it refers to his dual role both as a pimp (and, therefore, an exploiter) and as a simple assistant (or almost secretary) to the star. shitty porn.

"I've met countless guys like that over the last 10 years in Los Angeles.

And it was clear to me that they deserved a movie, ”says

by way of presentation and justification for

his new work that opens this Friday after being presented at Cannes.

The director remembers, and he does so at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Festival where he was the guest star last week, that everything came about while he was working hard on the production of a previous film,

.

Shot in 2012 a couple of years before her first success,

, the film focused on the unlikely relationship between a budding adult film actress and her elderly and very lucid neighbor.

“What struck me about these guys is that they are true survivors.

They spend 24 hours a day acting in a state of feverish euphoria.

he adds.

He also recognizes (and does so under his breath) that they are guys completely outside the world, this world and, hurrying, this cinema.

It could be said that MeToo has ended (or is on the way to doing so, despite the reaction) with many vices of patriarchy, including "that of the omnipresent heterosexual male gaze".

"I am aware," Baker continues, "that I was taking a risk.

We have had a whole century of this way of looking and enough is enough.

But, on the other hand, to tell this story and to understand the miseries of this way of understanding life, I had no choice but to embrace that masculine gaze... For a moment I thought I would experience a real storm on Twitter and, at In the end, it hasn't been that bad.

.

And laughs.

To situate ourselves,

is basically the story of former porn actor

transfigured into Mickey.

On and off the screen, the character and the interpreter are almost the same person.

«I have always followed his career and his ability to adapt to everything has called me.

And that's basically what interests me as a filmmaker.

My idea is to remove the stigmas from certain professions or social groups.

The great stories can also be told by a trans that lives from prostitution.

We live in a capitalist society that does nothing but celebrate itself and celebrate success.

But she does it at the expense of all those whom she does not allow to enter for whatever reason, because they are immigrants, because they are undocumented, because they are black or simply because they are poor.

And all of them make a living on the sidelines in the underground economy that porn enters, ”says the head of

with the same forcefulness with which, in effect, it rolls.

The film combines duly dirty naturalism with a gaze that is at once warm, lyrical and sorrowful.

Baker's cinema is a constant attempt, shot by shot, at redemption.

From the hand of a libretto by Chris Bergoch, with whom he has worked four times, what remains is the story -brutal in its acidity, funny and sad at the same time in its self-confidence- of a

(Rex) determined to introduce in the business to a young woman about to turn 18 (Suzanna Son).

"It's tough, but it's part of the mechanics of how this works.

If someone sees potential in a young woman to enter the adult film industry, she will do it as young as possible », she points out.

Baker does not hide his taste for risk and for

areas .

"I don't believe in vindictive cinema or in cinema that patronizes the viewer.

Too many times we allow ourselves to be carried away by the cinema that points out what the virtues are.

And I think that's fine in conventional cinema.

If you're making a superhero movie, it's okay to strive to make it as inclusive as possible.

That's fine because it's a kid-focused industrial popcorn movie theater.

But I don't think it's my job to do that.

My cinema is for adults and does not serve formulas.

.

It is clear.

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