Swedish writer and director Ninja Thyberg celebrated her feature directorial debut Pleasure at the Angelika Film Center in New York City – with star of the film, Sofia Kappel, also celebrating her film debut! Already the winner of several film festival prizes at Göteborg Film Festival, Guldbagge Awards and more, this debut film was also a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2021! Pleasure breaks ground into the taboo world of adult film through the eyes of an aspiring porn star (played by Kappel), who travels to Los Angeles in search of the fame and money of the industry.  

View the trailer:

Back in May, Thyberg and Kappel were joined by the curator of the Museum of Sex in New York City, Eve Arballo, and Meredith Alloway at the Angelika Film Center following a showing of Pleasure to discuss the making of the film, and why a film like this is so important. Thyberg described her experience getting to know a lot of people involved in the real-life adult film industry – even featuring several of them acting in the film itself – and the influence that their stories had on the narrative of the film. Thyberg was clear about wanting to focus on telling a story birthed in truth in the film, rather than to glorify or fetishize the industry and the (specifically) female experience within it.  

The Q&A was hosted and presented by the organization The Future of Film is Female, a group which spotlights the cinematic creations by female and non-binary filmmakers in an effort to project their often-silenced voices in the forefront of media coverage of film, including through a short film fund, community-building programs, and exhibition programming. The film itself, which was written and directed by Thyberg, a Swedish woman, who describes her own personal journey into the sex positivity movement, from being an anti-porn activist in her teens to learning more deeply about the ways in which women can create a healthy and sex-positive atmosphere in the adult film industry through connecting with members of the current industry.  

Often, female sexuality in film is displayed through and for the male gaze – an aspect of film and media theory coined by Laura Mulvey – which views women as objects in film portrayed for the sexual gratification and exploitation by and for men. In Pleasure, Thyberg was able to flip that gaze on its head, exploring realistic forms of female sexuality without making the film itself feel exploitative. She worked hard to create a healthy and deeply trusting atmosphere on set, where everybody, cast and crew, could feel like they had the opportunity and support to feel heard and speak up if they believed something going on was uncomfortable. Even Sofia Kappel explains that for a long time, she felt so deeply connected to her character Linnéa that she could pinpoint moments in the script where she did not believe that her character would make that decision or statement, and was comfortable enough to offer changes and suggestions to the script.  

Pleasure is a masterclass in fine cinema, and a deeply confrontational experience to our own preconceived biases regarding femininity and sexuality. 

View the full Q&A here: