With the release of his new film Call me a Ghost, independent filmmaker, Noel Alejandro is fast becoming one of the most promising creators of adult gay movies. With his unique talent, Noel is breaking the mold by creating new forms of gay pornography that blur the lines that separate porn from art. Gays.com caught up with Noel in his hometown of Barcelona to talk about the philosophy of his films.
You direct independent gay porn movies. What is your problem with mainstream pornography?
I have no problem with mainstream pornography at all. I am a consumer of mainstream porn, and I love it! But the question is: why do 99% of porn movies all look the same? How come nobody is doing things differently? When I worked with indie adult filmmaker Erika Lust some years ago, I noticed what porn can also be. There is so much more to explore.
Would you call your films pornography?
Well, I wouldn't call my work porn, I see it more as kind of independent cinema. But of course, I don’t want to lie to anybody. I know I am making sex films, but real sex doesn't exist in mainstream cinema. All the sex scenes are cut, and the actors don't really have convincing sex, and it was frustrating for me to figure this out. Why is it not possible to show real sex in films? Why is it not possible to just make a regular movie – combining good storytelling with intense feelings and real, authentic sex? Maybe we have to create a new genre of sex films here. I noticed that most people don't know how to label my movies, they call my work soft porn. But they are not soft porn, my films include explicit sex.
"Most people do not know how to label my films. They call my films soft porn. But they are not soft porn, my films include explicit sex."
What did you learn from working with Erika Lust? What can gay pornography learn from feminist pornography?
What I learned from Erika Lust was that porn can be entirely different. There are still a lot of things to experiment with, and maybe, this is what feminism is trying to show us. There is always something more to explore, including different fields of sexuality. But again, there's nothing wrong with mainstream gay porn, as long as there is an alternative as well.
What is your opinion about bareback in porn films?
The base of my philosophy is that I am making cinema, not porn. So what is cinema? Cinema is fiction. You are telling a story in the way you need it to be told. I'm not here to teach anybody, and I don’t want to have this responsibility. Most of the time I let my actors choose if they want to use condoms or not, and it's fine for me if they do it without. Of course, they get tested before and sometimes the actors are couples, and they already know each other for a long time. It's entirely up to them, they're adults like we are all adults and they know what they're doing.
"thank you..". by Noel Alejandro Trailer from Noel Alejandro on Vimeo.
Is there a script for your films? Are the actors free in what they do and how they act?
Yes, there is a script. It is almost impossible to make a film without one. But I try to give freedom to the actors for improvisation, most of them are not professional actors, and sometimes improvisation really is necessary - it can make the film much more natural.
Where do you get your stories from?
The stories of my films are directly linked to my life. Everything I do is a mix of what I experience in life. Inspiration can be found everywhere; in the movies I watch, in the music I listen to, in the emotions I feel. Everything that inspires you can create a story in your mind.
Porn activists like Tim Stüttgen, Laura Mérrit or Beatriz Paul Preciado pointed out that porn always is political. Are there any political statements or issues in your films?
Everything I do is kind of political, and so are my movies. I want to show that sex can be something very positive. When most of the world is against gay sex and homosexuality, it's vital to show sex - and especially gay sex - as what it is: something natural, great and amazing.
It is vital to show gay sex as what it is: something natural, great and amazing.
Your new movie 'Call me a Ghost' will be released soon. What can viewers expect?
My new movie is a quite dark: it's about depression. However, it's a beautiful and sad movie at the same time. This is kind of new I guess: a sad, sex film, but it's still erotic! The actor's performance is stunning, Valentin Braun is particularly impressive. I really enjoyed working with him, and I hope that people will love our work too.
Love to see more of Noel's work? No problem!
Check out Noel Alejandro's films here or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
All images © 2013 - 2016 Noel Alejandro
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