Latest news with #patriarchy
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's ourselves and society on trial': playwright adapts Gisèle Pelicot case for stage
A stage play based on the trial of the men who drugged and raped Gisèle Pelicot will be staged this week in the southern city of Avignon, as France continues to debate the lessons for society from the country's biggest ever rape trial. The three-hour performance, The Pelicot Trial: Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, has been created by Milo Rau, the Swiss director and playwright acclaimed for his theatre interpretations of court proceedings, including the Moscow trial of the Russian punks Pussy Riot and the trial of the Romanian despot Nicolae Ceaușescu. The play has the backing of Pelicot's lawyers and feminist groups, and Rau says he felt compelled to turn the trial into a theatre piece: 'To have done nothing would have been like not speaking of Gaza or of Ukraine, it would have been a silence that's complicit.' The director said the Pelicot piece was about looking at rape culture, the trivialisation of rape and patriarchy in all its forms. 'Through the Pelicot trial, it's ourselves and our society on trial,' he said. Pelicot was hailed worldwide after she waived her right to anonymity to ensure a public trial of her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men on an internet forum to come to her bedroom and rape her for almost a decade from 2011 in the southern village of Mazan. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December and guilty verdicts were returned for all the 51 accused men. Gisèle Pelicot, who had said in court she wanted 'all of society to be a witness' and 'shame must change sides', was this week given France's top civic honour, the Legion d'Honneur, in recognition of her determination to expose and change what she called a 'macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape'. Rau, who worked with the playwright Servane Dècle to create the performance, said Pelicot's decision to choose a public trial instead of holding the case behind closed doors had in effect opened up the courtroom like a theatre. 'So we thought we should perhaps now turn the theatre into a courtroom,' he said. The performance is made up of staged readings of extracts from the trial, police files, social commentary and psychiatric reports. It looks at the 51 convicted and the question of how these men, including a nurse, a soldier, a journalist, a prison warden and delivery drivers, aged from 26 to 74, could travel to Pelicot's home to rape her. More than 50 performers will read extracts from the trial, and those on stage will include a psychiatric expert from the case and court artists who were present at the trial. Rau said it was important to stage the theatre piece in Avignon, where the trial took place and where crowds had gathered outside the court daily to cheer Gisèle Pelicot, and where the city walls were plastered with her quotes. It will be staged in a 14th-century open-air Carmelite cloister, with seats for 500 people, as part of the city's renowned theatre festival. But, with massive local interest, Rau said it would also be livestreamed in cinemas in Avignon as well as online. Rau said he had resolved to create the piece while he was preparing another play, La Lettre, for the Avignon festival. Having tackled other major trials on stage, he said it would have been a 'kind of absurd silence' not to also work on the Pelicot case. 'In the German-speaking world, Avignon is not famous for the theatre festival, it's famous for the Pelicot trial.' Pelicot's lawyers approved the idea, and journalists and researchers willingly gave Rau and Dècle thousands of pages of their notebooks to piece together the trial. 'It was clear for everyone that we had to do this, particularly here in Avignon and particularly now,' he said. The trial presented difficult topics for staged readings. 'At the start, there were many different issues – the rapists themselves, rape culture, masculinity, the family, the spaces where this took place,' Rau said. 'And then we followed the line of the trial and the questions it raised in society, in the media, and in people's minds.' The performance looks at the cross-examination of the accused men as well as their initial questioning by police, showing their shifting awareness of what was at stake. 'We see really what culture they're coming from, the patriarchal system, fraternity and rape culture that produces this,' Rau said. 'There was a moment of growing awareness in this city, but also in this country and in civilisation as a whole, to understand human relationships and how they have developed under a regime of capitalism, a regime of internet pornography, patriarchy, and drug-induced abuse.' The piece underlined to him how 'omnipresent' rape was in society, Rau said. A first performance took place at the Vienna festival last month, lasting seven hours, and the play will travel to other cities including Lisbon, Belgrade and Warsaw. Dècle, the play's co-writer, said: 'It's about pulling at all the threads with the audience to understand what is it that made these men – who were so different from one another – converge on that bedroom, share recipes for drugging women, suggest women close to them who should also be raped, and doing all of that while having apparently ordinary lives. It's very important what this says about our society today.' The Pelicot Trial: Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, Avignon festival, 18 July and streamed online
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's ourselves and society on trial': playwright adapts Gisèle Pelicot case for stage
A stage play based on the trial of the men who drugged and raped Gisèle Pelicot will be staged this week in the southern city of Avignon, as France continues to debate the lessons for society from the country's biggest ever rape trial. The three-hour performance, The Pelicot Trial: Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, has been created by Milo Rau, the Swiss director and playwright acclaimed for his theatre interpretations of court proceedings, including the Moscow trial of the Russian punks Pussy Riot and the trial of the Romanian despot Nicolae Ceaușescu. The play has the backing of Pelicot's lawyers and feminist groups, and Rau says he felt compelled to turn the trial into a theatre piece: 'To have done nothing would have been like not speaking of Gaza or of Ukraine, it would have been a silence that's complicit.' The director said the Pelicot piece was about looking at rape culture, the trivialisation of rape and patriarchy in all its forms. 'Through the Pelicot trial, it's ourselves and our society on trial,' he said. Pelicot was hailed worldwide after she waived her right to anonymity to ensure a public trial of her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men on an internet forum to come to her bedroom and rape her for almost a decade from 2011 in the southern village of Mazan. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December and guilty verdicts were returned for all the 51 accused men. Gisèle Pelicot, who had said in court she wanted 'all of society to be a witness' and 'shame must change sides', was this week given France's top civic honour, the Legion d'Honneur, in recognition of her determination to expose and change what she called a 'macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape'. Rau, who worked with the playwright Servane Dècle to create the performance, said Pelicot's decision to choose a public trial instead of holding the case behind closed doors had in effect opened up the courtroom like a theatre. 'So we thought we should perhaps now turn the theatre into a courtroom,' he said. The performance is made up of staged readings of extracts from the trial, police files, social commentary and psychiatric reports. It looks at the 51 convicted and the question of how these men, including a nurse, a soldier, a journalist, a prison warden and delivery drivers, aged from 26 to 74, could travel to Pelicot's home to rape her. More than 50 performers will read extracts from the trial, and those on stage will include a psychiatric expert from the case and court artists who were present at the trial. Rau said it was important to stage the theatre piece in Avignon, where the trial took place and where crowds had gathered outside the court daily to cheer Gisèle Pelicot, and where the city walls were plastered with her quotes. It will be staged in a 14th-century open-air Carmelite cloister, with seats for 500 people, as part of the city's renowned theatre festival. But, with massive local interest, Rau said it would also be livestreamed in cinemas in Avignon as well as online. Rau said he had resolved to create the piece while he was preparing another play, La Lettre, for the Avignon festival. Having tackled other major trials on stage, he said it would have been a 'kind of absurd silence' not to also work on the Pelicot case. 'In the German-speaking world, Avignon is not famous for the theatre festival, it's famous for the Pelicot trial.' Pelicot's lawyers approved the idea, and journalists and researchers willingly gave Rau and Dècle thousands of pages of their notebooks to piece together the trial. 'It was clear for everyone that we had to do this, particularly here in Avignon and particularly now,' he said. The trial presented difficult topics for staged readings. 'At the start, there were many different issues – the rapists themselves, rape culture, masculinity, the family, the spaces where this took place,' Rau said. 'And then we followed the line of the trial and the questions it raised in society, in the media, and in people's minds.' The performance looks at the cross-examination of the accused men as well as their initial questioning by police, showing their shifting awareness of what was at stake. 'We see really what culture they're coming from, the patriarchal system, fraternity and rape culture that produces this,' Rau said. 'There was a moment of growing awareness in this city, but also in this country and in civilisation as a whole, to understand human relationships and how they have developed under a regime of capitalism, a regime of internet pornography, patriarchy, and drug-induced abuse.' The piece underlined to him how 'omnipresent' rape was in society, Rau said. A first performance took place at the Vienna festival last month, lasting seven hours, and the play will travel to other cities including Lisbon, Belgrade and Warsaw. Dècle, the play's co-writer, said: 'It's about pulling at all the threads with the audience to understand what is it that made these men – who were so different from one another – converge on that bedroom, share recipes for drugging women, suggest women close to them who should also be raped, and doing all of that while having apparently ordinary lives. It's very important what this says about our society today.' The Pelicot Trial: Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, Avignon festival, 18 July and streamed online
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The best period pants, tried and tested for comfort, style and absorbency
Few relish the monthly bleeding, cramps and scramble to stock up on tampons that come with the menstrual cycle. Periods are usually greeted by a weary sigh and a search in the knicker drawer for the big black pants. However, a new wave of period underwear is revolutionising the monthly cycle for many. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Period pants act as reusable period protection that absorb blood and can then be put in the washing machine. The general guidance is to change your period pants every four to six hours, but this can vary according to the brand, absorbency rating and the heaviness of your cycle. Some choose period pants for convenience (no need to carry around tampons or pads), but they're also a sustainable alternative to single-use period products. Disposable sanitary towels contain up to 90% plastic, which ends up – more often than not – as landfill or ocean pollution. In fact, with packaging and adhesive included, each sanitary pad is equivalent to about four plastic bags. So, while energy and water are used to wash period pants, they're still one of the more eco-friendly menstrual products. 'But period pants give me the ick,' said a friend when I mentioned what I'd been testing. Other than the thousand things I could say about the patriarchal shaming of women's bodies, I answered truthfully: they're really not that bad. Period pants are absorbent and easy to wash, and if you're really freaked out by blood, you can put them straight into a wet bag before they go into the machine. It's recommended to wash period pants on a cool cycle without softener (since softeners inhibit absorbency) and then air dry rather than tumble. My main takeaway from the test? Period pants are easy to use and (relatively) mess-free. Best period pants overall:Wuka stretch midi briefFrom £15.99 a pair at Wuka Best budget period pants: Marks & Spencer period full briefs£16 for three pairs at M&S Best period pants for zero VPL:Modibodi seamfree full briefFrom £20.99 a pair at Modibodi Best period pants for overnight:Cheeky Wipes Feeling Cosy bamboo period shorts£16.99 a pair at Cheeky Wipes I've been testing products professionally for more than four years. My mission is to be firm, fair and thorough in my assessment of any product, and I've tested many things – from kids' SPFs to kitchen appliances. This isn't my first foray into professional period product testing, either: I've tested period pads, and know what I'm looking for. Period pants are my personal period product of choice, having tried pretty much every iteration on the market. I tested more than 30 different period pants, including high-street retailers' own brands alongside specialist brands. My testing window lasted three cycles, so about three months. I wore the pants for the recommended time during my period, checking for comfort and leaks. Vitally, I then washed and dried them to see how long this process took; period pants can take a while to dry, particularly because you can't tumble dry them. In fact, my washing line rarely had space for anything but period pants during testing. After washing I checked if the pants were still in good shape – saggy elastic just won't do. I also tested their absorbency thoroughly – during my cycle and by pouring volumes of water on to the pants and observing how they coped (timing this for accurate results). Comfort, fit and price were all taken into consideration too. From £15.99 a pair at Wuka Wuka designed these briefs to offer a flexible fit for every body shape. They're multi-size, which is great for those who experience bloating, are postpartum or are a still-growing teenager. They're made from stretchy, soft nylon and elastane on the outer and a mix of polyester, polyamide, TPU (a waterproof fabric), cotton and spandex on the inside. The gusset is suspended into the underwear, so it provides a more flexible fit that can accommodate body shape and an active lifestyle. Why we love it I found the heavy-absorbency pair I tested comfortable to wear, soft and flexible. A lot of period pants shrink in the wash and become uncomfortable, but the elastic never started to dig in, even after more than 10 washes. The suspended gusset meant I felt secure during testing and didn't experience any leaks. And despite offering very good absorbency – absorbing 30ml of water in 46 seconds during testing – the Wuka isn't bulky, with a shape and style substantial enough to give you peace of mind without looking like something Bridget Jones would wear. Wuka doesn't use silver or antibacterial treatments in the production of its pants, if you're concerned about the potential health risks. It's a shame that … they come in only two colours (Wuka claims not to be a fashion brand, so only offers pants in black and beige). Size range: 6-26 Absorbencies available: medium, heavy, superB Corp: yes £16 for three pairs at M&S M&S entered the period pants game in 2021 and now has a wide range. These heavy-absorbency knickers were tested as they're middle of the road in terms of absorbency, cut and price – they're a versatile option and will probably suit most people. A set of three is roughly the same price as one pair of period pants from a specialist brand. There are three colours in the pack I tested: pink, burgundy and beige. They're made from 83% cotton, 9% polyamide and 8% elastane and can be washed at 40C. Why we love itSwitching to period pants can, initially, be expensive, even though the swap will save you money over time. This set of three from M&S makes the switch more achievable by being a relatively affordable option. A realistic estimate is that disposable period products cost about £10 a month, so £120 a year. If you bought six pairs of these M&S period pants, that would cost you £32, and they should last up to three years. That's a saving of at least £300. Many period pants are slippery nylon, while these feel refreshingly like standard cotton briefs. They offered a decent level of coverage without reaching up over my tummy button (no shade to big-pants fans, but they're not for everyone). M&S rates these as heavy absorbency, but I found they were best for mid-flow days – I had two slight leaks on heavier days. However, they were comfy without much bulk, washed well and retained their colour. I also enjoyed that they came in colours other than black and beige (yawn). It's a shame that … they shrank slightly after a few washes at 40C. Size range: 8-24 Absorbencies available: heavyB Corp: no From £20.99 a pair at Modibodi£24.99 a pair at John Lewis Modibodi's comfortable, seamless period pants are a little more bouji than your average, with a top layer of merino wool on the gusset, a material renowned for its soft, moisture-wicking and breathable properties. Underneath this layer is a towel of polyester and polyamide, then a third layer of polyester. Shape-wise, there's a low-leg and high-waist cut for comfort. Why we love itThese are good if you're worried about bulky period pants and want to wear something close-fitting. They're seamfree and are glued instead of sewn. Plus, the absorbent gusset is relatively small – it doesn't stretch up to the waistband at the front or back, reducing thickness significantly. I found the moderate-absorbency pair comfortable to wear (although I suggest you cut out the huge, chunky and very itchy label). The silky recycled nylon and elastane on the outer gave a good amount of stretch on bloated days, and this elasticity didn't seem to dissolve after the first five washes. I also found the pants dried quickly, on the washing line and heated airer. Modibodi claims the merino wool helps reduce odours – I certainly felt fresh and clean wearing them, even on heavy-flow days. It's a shame that … you need to wash them on a cold cycle, which means you can't throw them in with your standard laundry. Size range: 8-26 Absorbencies available: moderate, superB Corp: yes £16.99 a pair at Cheeky Wipes For maximum coverage and comfort while sleeping, these Cheeky Wipes period shorts are up there with the best. With a high waistline, comfortable low leg that doesn't cut off the blood supply and ultra-soft, breathable bamboo fabric, these shorts are a triple threat. The absorbency coverage is front to back, with a generous four-layered gusset to ensure you can sleep in every position with peace of mind. Why we love itEasily the most comfortable period pants I tried, these were a joy to sleep in. Even on the heaviest flow, I suffered no leaks and felt dry and fresh all night long. The long absorbency area is doing its job here. I upped the ante and tested 30ml of water poured out over 10 seconds, and the period pants absorbed all the liquid within 40 seconds. I found the bamboo soft against my skin, and breathable – perfect for those liable to overheating during the night. Washing and drying were fuss-free, too. The care instructions suggest 30C or lower, and they came out fresh with the colour still vibrant. These Cheeky Wipes products don't contain perfluorooctane sulfonate (Pfos), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or silver. It's a shame that … they're not more aesthetically pleasing (it's comfort over style here). Size range: 2-30 Absorbencies available: heavy B Corp: application pending £13.32 a pair at Bodyform Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Best for: lighter flows Bodyform has added period pants to its product range. The light-absorbency pair I tested were pretty bog-standard, but a decent option for lighter-flow days. I wouldn't trust them with a heavy flow, however, and I don't fancy their chances with clots. That said, they're lightweight and flexible, and the most like wearing a pair of normal cotton knickers of all the period pants I tried. The main part of the pants is 95% cotton, which makes them feel soft. I also liked how breathable they were. The gusset itself is less breathable – two layers made up of polyester, elastane and polyamide. Full disclosure: these pants are infused with silver copper zeolite for keeping bacteria at bay. They didn't make the cut because … I felt there were better period pants out there for the same price. Size range: 4-22; absorbencies available: light, moderate, heavy; B Corp: no £22 a pair at Nixi Body£22 a pair at Boots Best for: gym bunnies and the fashion-conscious I was immediately struck by how lightweight these period pants are: they're some of the most flimsy I tried, but I was still impressed with the absorbency of the light-flow pair I tested. There are four layers of polyester, elastane, nylon and cotton in the absorbency zone. While the Coni is definitely best once your heaviest flow is over – the gusset has a relatively scant surface area – I was able to wear them on mid-flow days and forget I was on my period. These period pants are designed for zero VPL and have a feminine cut with scalloped edging that lies flat against your bum. This means they stay close to your body, and can't be seen under tight gym leggings and cycling shorts. They didn't make the final cut because … they're not super breathable (and could be rather sweaty at the gym). Size range: 8-30; absorbencies available: light, medium; B Corp: no £12.99 a pair at Cheeky Wipes Best for: teens Cheeky Wipes says it has designed these period pants with teens in mind, and they certainly felt like the most teen-friendly to me during testing. They come in a cheery leopard print – easy to find in the laundry and knicker drawer. And even more importantly, they offer great coverage without being bulky. The cut is similar to the pants younger teens are used to, and they should be absorbent enough to last them a whole school day. The pants have a front-to-back absorbency zone with three layers – super-absorbent microfibre is doing most of the work here. During testing they performed brilliantly – I tried them with 15ml of water poured on them over five seconds, and all the liquid had been absorbed within seven seconds. They also washed well without dulling the colours. The cut, a low-rise boy brief, is comfortable and will give peace of mind to teens getting to grips with their monthly cycle. I was really impressed by the quality of these period pants for the price – encouragingly affordable for the parents of still-growing teenagers. They didn't make the final cut because … as fun as they are, the bright print might not be for everyone. Size range: 4-24; absorbencies available: medium; B Corp: application pending From £22.99 a pair at Wuka Best for: heavy periods The super-absorbency Wuka period pants are the pair I reached for on the heaviest days of my period during testing, and they did me proud – even overnight. Wuka claims they can be worn for up to 24 hours. My own internal ick factor prevented me from testing them for quite this long, but I felt reasonably fresh after a day of wear. As these are Wuka's belt-and-braces offering, the pad inside the gusset is thicker than on the cheaper medium version, with two layers of absorbent fabric and waterproofing. The absorbency zone stretches front to back, too. Despite all this coverage, I didn't find them noticeably bulky – if you like to wear tight clothing, they might show a little, but I found them fine in jeans. They washed well, too. I had to unravel the absorbency layer a bit after washing, but it quickly returned to its shape. Despite being washed about nine times during testing, they still look as good as new, with springy elastic. Be warned, though: they do take a long time to dry, so don't rely on them being clean and ready to use again in a 24-hour time frame. They didn't make the final cut because … at full price, they're quite pricey compared with the other period pants here, and they take a while to dry. Size range: 4-26; absorbencies available: medium, heavy, super, overnight; B Corp: yes An immediate switch to using only period pants can be a hit to your bank balance: many period pants cost about £15 a pair (although you can get cheaper packs, such as the M&S set reviewed above) and you'll need to change pants every four to six hours (depending on the brand, absorbency and flow). A phased switchover is more manageable: invest in enough for a few days of your period, and make sure you're organised about washing and drying them. Bear in mind that a high price point doesn't necessarily mean a better product, however. The main things to consider are shape and absorbency level. Many of us want good, secure coverage during our period – but some of us want pants that look good too. Go for a style that suits you and your flow. You can often get the same style with different levels of absorbency. Typically, you can wear period pants for four to six hours, but you're going to know your flow and comfort levels the best. Overnight period pants are designed to be worn longer. Most period pants have an absorbency rating listed on the product (which I've provided above), although there's no universal standard so your idea of a heavy flow may be different to others'. You'll know when to change your period pants when they start to feel a bit heavy, or you can feel dampness. A sure sign is when you get spotting on your clothes – but ideally you'd change your period pants before this. If you're out and about, you might want to take a dedicated wet bag (a waterproof fabric bag) with you – they're made for the job, and are discreet. Pop your period pants into one until you can get to a washing machine. You might want to rinse them under the cold tap until the water runs clear before chucking them in the washing machine, but if that's not possible just make sure to wash them as soon as you can. Yes, period pants are thought to be more eco-friendly than disposable period products overall. 'The most up-to-date evidence – including a life-cycle assessment of menstrual products – suggests that when it comes to environmental impact, the menstrual cup comes out on top, followed by period underwear and then reusable pads,' says Helen Lynn, senior consultant and research fellow at the Women's Environmental Network. 'This major international study comparing different period products across eight environmental indicators found that menstrual cups – which are small, reusable and can last up to 10 years – had the lowest impact across the board. Period underwear came in second, then reusable pads. Single-use pads and tampons came in last.' It's worth pointing out that while menstrual cups have the least impact, knowing how to properly insert a menstrual cup is essential, as is regular sterilising. Some period pants use 'antimicrobial silver' woven into the fibre to reduce odour and bacteria. And as the Guardian reported, one study has found that silver in period pants may pose a health risk. If you're concerned by this, opt for period pants that are silver-free – there are plenty on the market. Zoë Phillimore is a journalist with 20 years of experience. She's tested everything from mattresses to makeup, and she's slightly obsessed with finding small new businesses to spotlight. Aside from this niche interest, Zoë loves travel, being outside – especially on the beach – and finding things to keep her three very active children busy
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
What Michael Douglas' films say about the crisis of masculinity
Actor Michael Douglas is pressing pause on his acting career, for now. While he isn't officially calling it retirement, he has said he worked pretty hard for 60 years. And that workload is something culture critic and author Jessa Crispin has been looking into. She examined some of Michael Douglas' biggest hits and says that blockbusters like Wall Street and Basic Instinct embody the anger and paranoia of men rocked by shifting gender roles. Her latest book is called What Is Wrong with Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything. Actor Michael Douglas. Photo: AFP
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'I never imagined it would be banned': The ultra-violent, sexually explicit French thriller now being reappraised
Back in 2000, a French film was vilified for its tale of two women embarking on a drug-fuelled killing spree. But 25 years on, it's considered revolutionary by some. When a certain French thriller first arrived in May 2000, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, it generated a maelstrom of controversy. The film had already been threatened with censorship in France, and some audience members at Cannes reportedly donned T-shirts in solidarity with its writer and co-director Virginie Despentes. Others walked out in disgust. And that was just the beginning of the storm. Warning: This article contains descriptions of violence and language and content that some may find offensive Released in French cinemas 25 years ago this month, Baise-moi is a pulpy, ultra-violent odyssey of two women disillusioned with a patriarchal society that is now remembered as one of cinema's biggest cause célèbres. It was created by writer and film-maker Virginie Despentes as a rough-hewn, tongue-in-cheek adaptation of her 1993 debut novel of the same name, and co-directed by adult film actor Coralie Trinh Thi. Partly triggered by a savage act of male violence, during which one of the two lead characters, along with another female friend, is raped, it sees its heroines decide to unleash their anger in revenge, killing off more than a few sexual predators during a drug-fuelled and doomed road trip. In the wake of #MeToo and a new wave of female film-making weaponising "female rage", the film has undergone a reassessment among critics. Where other road movies, such as Bonnie and Clyde (1967) or Thelma & Louise (1991), had also crossed violent terrain and been critically lauded, Baise-moi was vilified from all sides of the political spectrum. The film combines a premise that feels familiar – two outlaws on the run from the authorities – with graphic depictions of sex and murder. It was shot on a shoestring budget – tracking the misdemeanours of its gun-toting heroines through handheld camera footage – and upon its general release in France in June 2000, critics were baffled by its provocatively trashy packaging. "The cinephile press in France tends to be much more interested in aesthetics, in film form, than content and context," Ginette Vincendeau, professor of film studies at King's College, London and critic, tells the BBC. "It was considered ugly." She was one of a handful to review Baise-moi positively when it was released in the UK. Banned and re-banned In France, Baise-moi (the title translating literally as "fuck me") was initially released on 64 screens, but after riling right-wing groups in France, such as conversative values organisation Promouvoir, it was given an X rating by the French high court, effectively making it the first film banned in the country for 28 years, as only a clutch of specialist cinemas could show a film with such a prohibitive rating. When it was then released on dvd, it could only be purchased in sex shops. Meanwhile, the left-wing press objected to it for different reasons, being unconvinced at how effectively it conveyed its message, and accusing it of hypocrisy. As The Guardian's critic Peter Bradshaw put it: "Baise-Moi is an understandable counterblast to fatuous middlebrow dramas [...] But the intellectual penetration of this sour, lifeless movie is pretty shallow." Its pariah status in France came despite a chorus of support from fellow film-makers such as Catherine Breillat, who spearheaded a petition for Baise-moi's re-release, with signatures from other luminaries like Jean Luc-Godard and Claire Denis, which suggested it had fallen victim to "a revival of post-war censorship". Under a new 18 certificate, the film landed back in cinemas without much fanfare the following year. In Australia, campaigns by conservative politicians resulted in the film being pulled out of theatres just two weeks after its release, its distribution squashed there again when it was banned on dvd in 2013. "I absolutely did not expect so much controversy, and I would never have imagined that we would be banned and find ourselves on the news," co-director Trinh Thi tells the BBC. "It was a punk film intended for an underground audience." But the furore had an unexpected upshot, she says: "The ban had us projected to the front of the media scene, and the film became accessible to the general public." Nevertheless it still only gleaned a meagre $940,944 worldwide, falling short of its $1.35m budget. Seven years earlier in France, Despentes's novel had enjoyed widespread success, published when she was 24 years old. Then, in 1999, the former sex shop assistant decided to start developing a film version, enlisting her friend Trinh Thi as a collaborator. They both saw the film and book as "completely different" projects, says Trinh Thi, and cast two leads also hailing, like her, from the adult film industry. "It was Despentes who had the idea to make Baise-Moi into a movie when she saw Karen and Raffaëla in the film Exhibition 99 that I lent her," Trinh Thi explains. "Upon seeing them, she immediately imagined them in the roles of Nadine and Manu. She called me right away to talk to me about it. And at first I didn't see what she meant, but I reread the book imagining Karen and Raffaëla in the roles, and it worked perfectly." The directors sought to address the saturation of hypersexualised – and often brutalised – imagery of women. But they commandeered this flagrant imagery to do so. Wry nods to exploitation flicks such as Abel Ferrara's Ms 45 (1981) or Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left (1972) are littered throughout, from the use of lurid red filters to the pose-striking of its two protagonists, while it features hardcore unsimulated sex scenes. This is self-referentiality capped off with the self-aware, third-wall-breaking dialogue of Manu, who despairs at the absence of "witty lines". Beneath its flame-fanning of controversy, though, Baise-moi deals with serious subject matter. Its unflinching, uncensored rape scene takes on a bitter resonance in light of Despentes's 2006 feminist manifesto King Kong Theory, which detailed her own experience of sexual assault at age 17. "Rape doesn't disturb the peace, it's already part and parcel of the city," she writes. Its unalloyed and unsimulated use of sex was a recognisable feature of the "French New Extremity" movement – a term coined by Canadian critic James Quandt to describe a transgressive, boundary-flouting wave in French film-making in the 1990s and early 2000s, which also included films by Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas and Gaspar Noé in its ranks. "Part of it is to do with the cultural myth of France as a country of libertinage – non-repressed sexuality – and the Marquis de Sade," says Vincendeau of Despentes, as well as Breillat's, portrayals of real-life sex in films like Baise Moi and Romance (1999). Vincendeau suggests the directors saw the explicitness of these scenes as a part of a tradition of creative freedom in the country. However in today's age of the intimacy coordinator, their choice to film actual sex would most likely raise a few eyebrows. Vincendeau notes last year's uproar around Breillat's alleged mishandling of sex scenes on Romance, as detailed in a book by the film's lead actor Caroline Ducey called La Prédation. "These women saw themselves as part of auteur cinema which is considered as expressing and valorising a sense of freedom, breaking boundaries, braving censorship and so on as a marker of artistic excellence. [... Baise-moi] is at the most extreme end of that extreme movement," she adds. The 'female rage' films it inspired Arguably, Baise-moi provided the lethal prototype for many female-directed films in a similar vein, especially within the "revenge thriller" genre, where characters exact vengeance against enemies or those who have wronged them. These range from Julia Ducournau's Raw (2016), Ana Lily Amirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) and Coralie Fargeat's Revenge (2017) to post-MeToo films like Ducournau's Titane (2021), Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman (2020) and Rose's Glass's Love Lies Bleeding (2024); all of these also opt for a violent cinematic language to explore issues of gender or violence against women. In an interview in 2021, Ducournau said that many female film-makers of were concerned with 'reclaiming the narrative and taking over the male gaze' right now, and that Despentes had been doing that "for a very long time". "It is all about seizing power and control in the most visceral way possible, about confronting the traditional male gaze and violently turning it on its head," says critic Nikki Baughan of this grisly new feminist wave. "It only feels subversive because we're not used to seeing female characters take such violent charge of their actions and behaviour, physically or sexually [...] If the protagonists of Baise-moi were male, would the film have been met with such consternation or banned? "The very idea that these women have decided enough is enough, and are given – or give themselves – carte blanche to seek their own justice for everything they have been subjected to, and take pleasure in doing so, plays like a cathartic fantasy." But many critics were – and remain – unconvinced by Baise-moi's deliberately inflammatory way of conveying its anti-patriarchal message. Among the reviewers who couldn't get onboard with the film upon its release was Ian Mantgani, now a film-maker and director of Nosepicker (2023), who called it "adolescent". "At the time, I thought it was amateurish and posturing; provocative without cohesive philosophy, flippant without being funny," says Mantgani. More like this:The story of the wildest film shoot everHow Brokeback Mountain challenged HollywoodThe only X-rated winner of the best picture Oscar In the past 25 years, Mantgani's opinion has shifted. "Maybe some of that holds true, but I'd be less sanctimonious now," he says. "It's an unbowed, scattershot punk riff; Karen Lancaume and Rafaella Anderson give two forceful, often quite joyous lead performances." In light of Lancaume's death by suicide five years after Baise-moi's release, Mantgani adds: "The fact that Karen got to play this indomitable outlaw in the midst of her porn career before her untimely death gives it a special poignancy too." Certainly, part of why Baise-moi helped lead a revolution in more extreme women-helmed cinema in France and elsewhere is that it tapped into the same impulses that film had no issue portraying for male characters. "Unlike other films in the French Extremism category, the women actually seem to enjoy sex," Vincendeau highlights. It's worth noting, however, that some people, such as former Telegraph and Daily Mail reviewer Christopher Tookey, have continued to express concern at the films' levels of explicit violence. In a 2021 interview, Tookey discussed how after the release of David Cronenberg's controversial Crash, numerous films had come through which were "brutal and perverted", name-checking Baise-moi among them. Above all, Baise-moi's divisiveness lies in the fact that it is designed to be uncomfortable, not "likeable", as Sophia Takal – director of Green (2011) and Always Shine (2016), whose work has been categorised as part of female horror's renaissance – adds. "The film was derided for depicting female sexuality and violence without the typical moral framework that would make it palatable: there's no redemption arc, nor any clear condemnation of the characters' choices... the rawness of the performances and the handheld aesthetic created an authenticity that was uncomfortable." As Despentes mused in a recent interview, she sees the film's confrontation of the dark side of male sexuality as Baise-moi's most enduring element, especially in a digital era of increased misogyny and violent online imagery. "It showed that women could make films about female experience that didn't seek approval or understanding from audiences," Takal says. "It was trying to be honest about rage and trauma in ways that are difficult to watch." -- If you liked this story sign up for The Essential List newsletter, a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
