Rocco Siffredi, photo by Emmanuel Guionet
From its opening shot, it's clear that Rocco is not a film for the faint of heart. It is raw, hard-core, violent and savage. And yet, hidden beneath this world of porn and Rocco Siffredi -- the film's anti-hero with a Faustian secret -- lies a message about how empowered we each are, when it comes to our own sexuality.
While for the first half of Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai beautifully shot and shocking film I squirmed in my seat -- without drawing too much attention to myself from my armchair neighbors, this was about porn after all -- the second half brought on Kelly Stafford. With the arrival of the English mega porn star, something changed. Suddenly a woman, a strong, unafraid, powerful woman was in charge, and the game wasn't the same old story of lives gone wrong, girls going down the crocked path anymore.
But aside from offering an insight into our personal limits and boundaries when it comes to sex, Rocco is also a film that allows a look into a world that is often showcased as naughty pleasures, in an almost comical way. Instead, the world of porno is one filled with stories, humanity and people who have chosen the career as a life path. And that's the kind of story that is always interesting to me.
At this year's Venice International Film Festival, where Rocco premiered in the Venice Days sidebar, I met up with the filmmakers. Demaizière and Teurlai have previously made Reset, about Paris Opera Ballet director Benjamin Millepede, better known to western audiences for being Natalie Portman's baby daddy, and have collaborated as a duo since 2004. I also got to a rare chance to speak with Rocco himself, who in person still longs to explain himself to the world. Those were meetings of souls, offering insight into a world that remains mysterious and unchartered.
Meetings I shall never forget, also because it rained cats and dogs during our talk, the only time during a festival filled with sunshine. Was it God watching us?
The first half of the film I felt violently angry and then once Kelly comes on my breathing softened, and I felt like finally I was in the company of a woman I could relate to. I felt very angry at the women in the first half, and very supportive of Kelly in the second half of your film.
Thierry Demaizière: My wife too, all women. It's true what you say, and many women have the same kind of feedback, but Kelly doesn't represent all women in porno. We wanted to show as much as possible of the women's position in this field, so we decided to put in the blond girl, who is a total mistake, she wants to be famous but goes to the slaughterhouse really, she is traumatized. Also the American girl, who's really into it, she wants to f**k the celebrity, she wants to make money and become famous. And Kelly. To her sex is sort of a militant statement, a liberation, she has power in that. We wanted to show these three examples.
It also shows us women what we do wrong and what we do right, when we ask for power. Not only sexually but as filmmakers and writers, for example. As women of the world, it shows us how important is our collaboration.
Thierry Demaizière: I think this film also heralds the end of the phallocratic world, the superman, that dominating male is over. In fact, when Rocco talks about the future of sex, he says he sees bisexuality as the future. And Kelly is the perfect response to that in the end, as she has power and knows it. It's Rocco who takes us to her and she provides the final response.
Two stories in Rocco, one is about the human being, and one about the porn star. To me, the human being is more interesting. Rocco, how does it feel to be here, in Venice, as a movie star?
Rocco Siffredi: It's conflictual this movie, I'm not in Paris presenting a film about somebody, this is a movie about me. I'm not playing a character. It's a very difficult movie, which created a lot of trouble for me, mentally, even the decision to do it. Even last night when I watched the premiere with my sons, I didn't sleep all night because they watched it. I knew at one point I needed to accept this, I needed to break the wall and I need to understand that we see everything.
I always do things in my life all the way. I always go there to do the best. People asked me why I did this movie, why I said so many things and in particular certain things. I said because it was important for me to empty everything, not leave anything behind me. It was important to pull out everything.
Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai
What drew you to this story as men?
Thierry Demaizière: He's a hero and antihero because he needed his mother's and wife's authorization to pursue his addiction and despite that, he's been chasing and chasing that final satisfaction, which never comes. I also think he's very tragic, there is a very Shakespearean aspect to him.
Alban Teurlai: And also usually actors who work in porn have a much shorter career, they last six seven years maximum. Instead Rocco has been on the set for 32 year and only decided to stop while shooting this film. We were also really interested in this Italian man who although is the king of porn, he still felt guilty and overwhelmed by it, that was very interesting to us.
Thierry Demaizière: On top of this, he's famous for this gift of his huge sex, and yet he says about himself, "I'm shit", and gets no happiness through women.
Is it the first time you've truly been naked in front of the camera?
Rocco Siffredi: Yes. Naked for me does not mean taking my clothes off.
Are there things that you regret saying?
Rocco Siffredi: No, nothing. I said everything. I was scared about saying that I went with men, but I said that too. I went with men. You saw the movie Shame? That's probably the best movie ever. I was trapped, and when I saw this movie I had nightmares for a week. Because it's like seeing the film of my life, when I discovered the addiction. I discovered my addiction when I decided to become Italian again. When I first became a pornstar I gave up being Italian and I became free. Free in my mind.
Are there parts of this film, that ended up being cut, that you wish you'd kept?
Thierry Demaizière: I was a bit ashamed of cutting out the bits between Rocco and his cousin, the comic bits, but it would have turned into a Dino Risi comedy.
Alban Teurlai: It was sad to deprive the film of that but we decided to do it, also because some of the funniest bits usually came right before and after the shooting and would not have been in there. The two together worked really well as a comedy duo.
Thierry Demaizière: It's very easy to laugh at that industry. It you look at their scripts, they are really nothing and the means they have for technical production, it's like a poor cousin of films. But laughing at it would make a judgement. And we didn't want to judge them.
It's a strange film to watch, makes you as an audience member feel very naked as well.
Rocco Siffredi: You know why, because it opens up all the locks that each of us has. Everyone has a lock and this strong film, rude almost, opens those up. But it's sincere.
Is it very different to shoot a film about a dancer, and one about a porno star?
Alban Teurlai: There is a true parallel, we both noticed. We were filming bodies at work, the effort made by these bodies at work. The suffering, the fatigue, the pain and the effort actually for these ballet dancers and the porn actors, they are both physical, and we noticed that.
Do you believe your wife has come to terms with what you do?
Rocco Siffredi: She's not Italian and that's the only thing that makes me think that maybe, I'm probably wrong. But inside me I know that doubt that I have still eats at me after 23 years. I feel guilty.
What is it like for you two to work together. What are the advantages of being two filmmakers making one film, and the disadvantages?
Alban Teurlai: We like to say that Thierry is the ear and Alban is the eye. We've been doing this for fifteen years and it's the twelfth work we do together. It's hard to find the disadvantages, I would not be able to do a film by myself.
What do people say when they meet you in person?
Rocco Siffredi: Truthfully, only big appreciation. Things like, we love you because it looks like you love what you do. I believe it's because they see my sincerity.
Could you each describe the other in three words?
Thierry Demaizière: When you make documentaries it's much easier to talk about others than about yourself. Self taught, very musical, in his editing as well, and sensitive.
Alban Teurlai: Dance, insight and sensitivity.
All images courtesy of La Biennale, used with permission.