Deauville (AFP)

Forbidden to under 18s, the sulphurous "Pleasure" on Saturday led the spectators of the 47th American film festival in Deauville behind the scenes of the world of the porn industry in California, where the question of consent hovers.

"You can cover your eyes during the movie!".

Ahead of the screening, director Ninja Thyberg, whose first film this is, warned festival-goers that some scenes could be difficult to watch.

And indeed, several sequences led the spectators to look away.

A pretty 19-year-old Swedish girl Bella, played by Sofia Kappel, comes to Los Angeles to work in the porn industry.

Throughout the film, we follow her discovery of the porn world and what happens far from the cameras: the difficulties of the first scene, the cohabitation and sometimes jealousy with other actresses, the relations with the agents, the importance of social networks or even the misogyny of the environment.

Eager to break through and be part of the stars of the X, Bella will gradually go further and further into extreme sex, in the hope of being part of the actresses of an influential producer.

Which leads the director to ask the question of consent and even rape, in extremely raw scenes.

"Actresses can say stop and stop what is running, but when we ask them if they have already said stop, they answer + never +", for fear of putting their career in danger, explained the young director who has took nearly six years to make the feature film.

To find an actress capable of taking on the role of Bella, who had to be both "fragile and strong", the director had around 2,000 auditions before setting her sights on Sofia Kappel.

All the other actors in the film are part of the pornographic film industry.

“I accepted the role because I really wanted to challenge myself to do it. I think part of the joy I feel today for playing as Bella is that it was difficult. Because it was difficult. it was! ", declared Sofia Kappel, quoted in the press kit.

The film, which is one of thirteen feature films in official competition and which was applauded by the Norman public, is due out in France on October 20.

© 2021 AFP