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VOL. 24, LEARN:
SELF-SERVICE IS SELF-CARE
Let’s get the year off on a pleasurable note, shall we?
To get ready for our next rePROFilm selections, we’ve got a bit of a teaser. This month and next we’ll feature two short films about sex and desire, so consider this a little foreplay…
To whet your appetite, we’ve rounded up some good-old-fashioned women’s-magazine-style advice. After all, these publications are the source of so much education about sex and sexuality — for people of all genders. And increasingly, their pages emphasize pleasure over everything.
That’s the vibe we’re bringing to your inbox. No pun intended. 😉
XO,
the rePROFilm Team
P.S. Reminder: we’re adjusting our Periodical publishing schedule in 2024 and teeing up each official selection with our usual accouterments to get you in the mood.
VOL. 24, LISTEN:
THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
We’re pleased to introduce our featured filmmaker for Vol. 24 of the rePROFilm Periodical! The Austrian animator and director Bea Höller uses her work to explore sexuality, what she calls “simply the most normal thing in the world.”
“I made it my personal task to test out boundaries, personal or society set,” Höller says. “Especially love to observe people when confronted with sexuality, when they are pushed beyond their comfort zone and no longer know how to behave.”
We’ll be back in your inbox in a couple of weeks with two of Höller’s short films. In the meantime, get down to our Vol. 24 playlist!
XO,
the rePROFilm team
P.S. If you live in or around Wichita, join mama.film for the first Screening Womb on Feb. 7. Learn more and RSVP here
VOL. 24, WATCH:
CLIMAX BARBIE
“Dark Chocolate” uses chocolate confections as metaphors to discuss different kinds of desire (why should either be considered a ‘guilty pleasure’) and “Klimax” is the Barbie spin-off you didn’t know you needed.
Prepare to have your world rocked by these animated films, both written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Bea Höller.
We screened both films in Wichita, Kansas, this evening at the first-ever Screening Womb (see above.) An intimate crowd of more than 30 folks came together for happy hour with vegan sushi, cocktails, custom pins and a big screen. Afterward, we talked about why it’s so hard to talk about sex and masturbation — and then we talked about sex and masturbation! (At least some of us did.) If you feel inspired by Bea’s films as we are, why not host your own Screening Womb happy hour? Invite your village. You’ll find the films (and the cocktail recipe) below.
Bonus: On the rePROFilm Periodical Podcast, sexologist Tyomi Morgan talks about how pursuing pleasure is a means of empowerment.
After all, learning about your own body and your own desires is one way to exercise bodily autonomy.
What’s your pleasure? If Bea Höller and Tymoi Morgan have anything to do with it, you’re about to find out.
XO, the rePROFilm team
VOL. 24, CHAMPION:
SHAME IS LAME (BUT RELATABLE)
It turns out that screening films about sexuality and desire in public is a little … terrifying.
At least, that was our experience when we showed the rePROFilm Vol. 24 short film selections in Wichita early this month.
In THEORY we believe these are important topics, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with a group of like-minded adults talking about sex and desire. In PRACTICE we were more than a little nervous.
And no wonder — it turns out most of us grew up in environments in which we learned very little about sex. For some of us, the subject was completely taboo. As one attendee said, “It just goes to show how important these conversations are.”
In this last missive of Vol. 24, we’re highlighting an initiative designed to give clear and factual info about sex to teens and younger adults. But don’t feel embarrassed to check it out if you’re outside of that demographic — we all need a refresher course now and then.
XO,
Team rePROFilm
PS: Host your own Vol. 24 inspired happy hour — for your friends or for yourself — through March 5 with our films, playlist, podcast & cocktail recipe. Find it all here!
Double Feature:
DARK CHOCOLATE and KLIMAX
Directed by Bea Höller (seven minutes total)
In one film, a succession of hypersexual characters strut towards the audience as a narrator discusses the merits of various kinds of chocolate. In another, a naked Barbie doll goes on a pleasure-seeking journey in a technicolor, curvaceous wilderness.
These are the surreal worlds of Bea Höller creates in “Dark Chocolate” and “Klimax.” In her rePROFilm interview, the director/animator said “animation is the perfect tool for visualizing sexuality.”
From the rePROFilm interview with Bea Höller:
What is your message to female viewers who watch ‘Klimax’?
“Explore and discover yourselves and have as many orgasms as you can. It’s something entirely natural and beautiful, allowing you to feel what you are: invincible and strong.”
These two films are solid arguments in support of that premise: “Dark Chocolate” manages to be a fanciful exploration of kink while allusions to sex toys, probing fingers, phalluses, clitorises and wetness permeate “Klimax,” — yet both films screened at film festivals around the world. —Emily Christensen
Introducing our featured filmmaker: Bea Höller
‘Animation is a perfect tool for visualizing sexuality.’
Real life prohibited a podcast interview with Bea this month, so we asked her some questions about her career, her process, and what she hopes to achieve with animated shorts.
On becoming a filmmaker: I wanted to share my knowledge of self-acceptance and sexuality. I struggle so much with societal pressure that I am aware of how important unity and self-belief are. And it’s even more beautiful to experience this with a team and an audience. That’s why filmmaking, at least for me, is something beautiful.
On animation as a tool for exploring sexuality: The reason I now find animation so fascinating is that with animation, you can create forms that are more challenging to achieve in live-action films. It’s essential to remember that animation is also a perfect tool for visualizing sexuality. It’s already a taboo topic, and animation doesn’t immediately deter the viewer, making everything more accessible.
On what she hopes viewers take away from her films: “I wish that not every woman thinks she has to be perfect because such a person doesn’t exist, and I hope women don’t conform to the visual and sexual desires of men. Either someone loves or respects you as you are, or they should leave. I also wish that these films strengthen or bring back women’s self-confidence after so much suppression by men.”
Click here for the whole interview – and stay tuned for a special episode of the rePROFilm podcast with sexologist Tyomi Morgan!
Asking for a friend: what happens in your body when you masturbate?
“’In terms of brain activity, there’s no difference between orgasms achieved through self-stimulation or partner stimulation,’ says Professor Komisaruk. But women in the study did orgasm more quickly when masturbating. Just saying.”
Overcoming cultural taboos around self-discovery
The journey to sexual self-discovery is deeply personal,” writes certified sex therapist Julie Labanz. “It requires introspection and an openness to explore beyond the familiar.” This take might not be quite as juicy as a Cosmo how-to, but this is a seriously good read for anyone interested in exploring their sexuality — with or without a partner.
Celebrity women who aren’t afraid to talk about masturbation
“We don’t need celebrities to tell us masturbation is great — but we love it when they’re not afraid to spread the word about it.” Same here! Click through to read self-love thoughts from luminaries such as Gabrielle Union, Rihanna, and Emma Watson.
(SheKnows)
My Pleasure, Darling
Dive in, tie down, leap up, and take a bite of that sweet, sticky fruit — whoever you are or want to be.
If you’re a certified freak, seven days a week, the Vol. 24 rePROFilm playlist is for you! From disco to hip hop, our in-house DJ compiled a collection that celebrates sensuality. Call (it) up when you wanna grind.
Tyomi is a Certified Sexologist, Authentic Tantra Practitioner and International Pleasure Coach. Her down-to-earth approach to sexuality has garnered the views of millions of eyes around the world via her advice-based Youtube channel and interactive social media presence and her advice has been featured on several platforms including Essence.com, Comedy Central and The New York Times. Her mission is to empower people to own their sexual identities and live life more sensually.
More than a decade ago, Tyomi Morgan noticed no prominent Black women were talking about sexual health. “Instead of complaining about it, I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to enter into this space.” The sexologist and designer of The Cowgirl Workout sits down with Asha Dahya to discuss how our bodies are hardwired for pleasure, the way cultural B.S. interferes with that reality, and how we can reconnect.
“This is part of our humanness. Our sexuality, no matter what it looks like, is a part of our experience. And we get to talk about this … out loud and in the open with medically correct terms.” — Tyomi Morgan
For more than 25 years, Scarleteen has provided comprehensive, no-nonsense, intersectional sex education resources aimed at teens and younger adults. What began as a spin-off of a website aimed at a mature audience has reached around 90 million users.
In addition to its website, Scarleteen offers message boards, live chat, and an SMS service, so answers are always just a few keystrokes away.
We like this description of the site: “Scarleteen is a diverse, inclusive space where we are strongly and actively committed to making and keeping a space that feels as safe as possible for everyone, which honors the diversity of human sexuality and identity.”
Two articles that pair well with our Vol. 24 film selections: “With Pleasure: A whole view of sexual anatomy for every body” and “How to get comfortable.”
rePROFilm endeavors to make our programming a safe, accessible and welcome place for anyone who wants to participate. We acknowledge that we have much to learn about creating this space, and welcome and and all feedback that can make us better aware and able to support all minds and bodies.
We are committed to screening films in accessible venues, and also understand that meeting ADA standards for accessibility does not actually mean a venue is actually accommodating for everyone. As best we can, we will offer a complimentary companion ticket to our film screenings as requested. For our virtual screenings, we ask all filmmaking teams to provide closed captioning, audio descriptions or open captions whenever possible. For any questions, please contact us at 323-810-6909 or help@reprofilm.org. We are here to do our best to make our programming as inclusive as possible.
