Meet The Woman Single-Handedly Revolutionising Female Porn

The Swedish adult film-maker – who starred in Netflix documentary Hot Girls Wanted – is revolutionising the way we make and consume pornography, teaching young female film-makers it’s possible to create realistic sex that’s enjoyable for everyone involved. We caught up with Erika to talk all things feminist porn, and what it’s like being one of the few female directors in the business…

What inspired you to make feminist porn?

I studied political science and gender studies at university and was reading Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible" by Linda Williams when I realised porn is part of a discourse on sexuality in modern society. At that same time, it seemed all images of sex in society were under the control of a very specific white male gaze. I was frustrated by the realisation that the men in control of the adult industry seemed to have the emotional intelligence of a teenage boy and only cared about catering for their own desires.

The more I learned, the more I wanted to try and create something totally different. I wanted to make an alternative to the degrading mainstream porn gaze, something that would express my ideas and my values, and that others looking for something more sensual and ethical would also like.

Have you encountered any obstacles as a female porn director?

Initially it was the hostility I received from my male counterparts in the industry. I was belittled by a lot of them – they didn't understand why I wanted to try and make new type of adult cinema. Ultimately, they didn't like it because they thought I was wrong to think I could do something better than them. It's always hard trying to change the status quo, but if you don't try you'll never succeed – I’m in a great place right now, with a wonderful team coming up with new exciting projects. It’s taken a lot of effort but I wake up every day feeling like it's worth it.

What’s your opinion of mainstream porn?

The adult content shown on the free tube sites such as PornHub is problematic at best. Porn mirrors our society and looking at these sites shows how women are still viewed and treated in real life. They blatantly disrespect women's pleasure and consent. The female body is portrayed as inherently subjugated and passive to the man – male pleasure is the ultimate goal. Plus, aesthetically I find mainstream porn boring and uninspiring. It’s lost the quality it had in the 70s when films were feature-length, released in theatres and reviewed by respected media. Now we have low costs, no filmmaking prowess and low-grade quality.

Free sites such as PornHub are owned by one hugely profitable company, MindGeek. They’ve decimated the industry, bankrupted companies and put many people out of jobs – in front of and behind the camera. At the same time, its anonymity creates the illusion that pornography is free for everyone and entails no cost, which leads to the assumption that sex work is not work. It's time to be a conscious consumer and start paying for your porn from ethical adult filmmakers. We seek out good food, good wine, good TV shows – why should porn be any different?

So how does feminist porn differ?

Everything is different! We show female pleasure, consent, diversity, cinematic qualities. We have more women behind the camera and show that female pleasure matters. The women in my films have their own sex drive and desires and are not passive objects exclusively focused on pleasuring the men. It doesn't matter if the film is kinky, romantic or anything in between; the women are empowered, they have a voice in the story and they seek their own pleasure.

I want to send out a positive message about sexuality and the culture of consent. We care about the performer’s welfare. Consent has been given for every part of the film from all parties involved – consent regarding the sexual acts being performed, but also the rate of pay they’re receiving. You won't find delusions of male power that are degrading to women, coercion, representation of incest or simulations of paedophilia in my films. I feel we have a responsibility to portray sex that’s realistic and hot, where the culture of consent is paramount. Everything is done under a safe sex environment, good working and safety conditions, and basic labour rights for performers and crew.

Talk us through your filming process…

All of my films for XConfessions are based on my viewers’ fantasies and confessions. Each month we read all of the user-submitted confessions to make sure they're legal, and then I choose the ones that inspire me most. I sit down to think about a script and a short film we could make out of that story.

We pay close attention to the casting, the styling, the locations. I approach each film as a unique creative task, taking every aspect of the film into consideration. In mainstream porn, the appeal is exclusively in the sex and so the entire film is focused on the sexual positions – but I want my films to be sensual experiences. I want the audience to enjoy the story, the beautifully filmed sets and the chemistry and intimacy between performers. Every little detail, from the lighting and the music to the cliches we avoid and the different body types we cast, has to work together to achieve the final result.

And the casting…

I work with a wide range of amazing performers, some of them are very experienced in the world of adult film, others have less experience and some are amateurs not looking to do it for a career. They’re all different and unique, but they're all sex-positive and intelligent.

Our casting process is long and thorough. We always make sure our performers are 21+, have had their own sexual experiences, are sex-positive and 100% happy and enthusiastic to be involved. We really get to know them long before we start filming, and the performers get to know each other too, so that it feels natural for them.

Do you work with an all-female crew?

I try to work with as many women as possible because we need women involved in all aspects of adult film to truly show the female gaze. My office is mostly female and the heads of each department on the production team are women, including the directors of photography and art. The film crew demographics vary slightly because most crew members are freelancers, and change shoot to shoot depending on availability. The crew is usually 80% women, with women working as camera people, editors, producers and runners.

In front of the camera, this creates respectful and relatable adult cinema that isn't degrading. Having creative women in the porn industry means a healthier, more sex-positive perspective. Seeing how most young people’s first encounters with sex is through online porn, ethical porn means they'll do this in a way that teaches them about consent, mutual respect and pleasure.

Will porn ever stop being taboo?

I hope so, society needs to accept that sex is the most natural thing in our lives, and porn can be used as a healthy tool to celebrate this. Porn can open your mind about sexuality and help you to discover new desires and fantasies. It can help you discover your body, how to give pleasure to it and to others. It can also be useful for young people growing up with kinks and desires not shared by the people around them, showing them that they are not alone and their desires aren't abnormal.

But unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be heading that way any time soon. As part of the Digital Economy Bill, the UK is currently preparing to bring in age verification restrictions on porn sites to ensure visitors are 18 or over. Experts have warned about the dangers of creating databases full of porn-watchers' habits, especially one that might track their sexual preferences. This seems like a huge backwards step for a society that is only just starting to accept people's sexual choices and desires.
 
Instead of spending money on censoring porn we need to spend money on better sex education. Parents and schools need to be having discussions with their children about pornography, explaining that it’s not a representation of real life and is often a fantasy taking things to extremes. This is why I started the non profit website The Porn Conversation which offers tools for parents to help them talk to their children at home.

What’s next for the world of feminist porn?

This year we’re embracing the never-ending development of technology. In May, I’ll be filming our first virtual reality erotic short film. It's very immersive, very realistic. It’s not suppose to replace sex or human relationships, but just spice them up.

We’re also launching our own response to cam shows with XConfessions Live. We’ll be focusing on quality over quantity and films will be shot with a cameraman/woman, as opposed to a stationary camera. And to top it off, we’re also releasing the XConfessions webseries on April 13th. Watch this space…
 
To see Erika’s work, visit XConfessions.com