Never one to shy away from controversy, Sono Sion takes part in iconic Japanese studio Nikkatsu's re-boot of their famed (and infamous) Roman Porno label with his most recent effort, Anti-Porno. And true to form for Sono, who delights in tweaking expectations, his entry into the series - a series of films that promises directors total creative freedom on condition that they include nudity on set intervals - has been widely hailed on its festival run as a feminist take on sexuality that does, in fact, live up to its title. Here's how it was described by the L'Etrange Festival in France for its premiere:
Fashion star Kioko is bored in her apartment, waiting for a meeting with Watanabe, a chief-editor who’s interviewing her. In the domination and humiliation game between her and her assistant, the roles will slowly invert. Unless it’s all fiction?
A very good batch from stakhanovist-filmmaker Shion Sono with Antiporno, a film commissioned by Nikkatsu to relaunch its Porn Novel, which the author turned into a personal and metaphysical exercise. In keeping with Why you play in hell? and TAG, Antiporno seems like a phantasmatic take on Perfect blue, made with a striking inventiveness and many possible interpretations, on the genre as the much as on cinema or feminine sexuality.
The first trailer for this one has just arrived and is a blast of color and style. And collars and whips. Take a look below!