Constance (1998 film)
Encyclopedia
Constance is an erotic film for women, directed by Knud Vesterskov
and produced by Puzzy Power
, a division of Lars von Trier
's film company Zentropa
. It was the first hardcore
pornographic film ever to have been produced by an established mainstream film studio.
Constance is based on the Puzzy Power Manifesto developed by Zentropa in 1997, and was the first in a series of pornographic films aimed particularly at a female audience. The others would be Zentropa's Pink Prison
(1999) and All About Anna
(2005).
(in the English-language version Susan Olsen and Helle Fagralid
).
Constance became a considerable success, and generated considerable hype, especially in Scandinavia
. It was nominated for three AVN Awards: Best Art Direction - Video, Best Music and Best Videography. The reaction of film critics was mixed however.
In 2006, the film's artistic merits were partly responsible for porn being legalized in Norway
.
In September 2007, Germany's biggest weekly magazine Stern
wrote: "Women too like to see other people having sex. What they don’t like is the endless close-ups of hammering bodyparts without a story. Lars von Trier
is the first to have realised this and produced valuable quality porn films for women."
Knud Vesterskov
Knud Vesterskov is a Danish film director who originally made his mark with a long string of experimental art films. He later wrote and directed two highly unusual hardcore feature films, Constance and HotMen CoolBoyz , both produced by Lars von Trier's company Zentropa Entertainments based in...
and produced by Puzzy Power
Puzzy Power
Puzzy Power is a Danish film company started in 1997 as a subsidiary to Lars von Trier's company Zentropa, with the goal of producing hardcore pornographic films for women...
, a division of Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
's film company Zentropa
Zentropa
Europa is a film directed by Lars von Trier. Released in 1991, it is von Trier's third theatrical feature film and is the final film in the Europa trilogy....
. It was the first hardcore
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
pornographic film ever to have been produced by an established mainstream film studio.
Constance is based on the Puzzy Power Manifesto developed by Zentropa in 1997, and was the first in a series of pornographic films aimed particularly at a female audience. The others would be Zentropa's Pink Prison
Pink Prison
Pink Prison is an erotic film for women, directed by Lisbeth Lynghøft and produced by Puzzy Power, a division of Lars von Trier's film company Zentropa....
(1999) and All About Anna
All About Anna
All About Anna is a Danish pornographic film released in 2005, directed by Jessica Nilsson and starring Gry Bay and Mark Stevens. The film is explicit in its exploration of sexual relationships...
(2005).
Plot
It tells the story of a young woman, Constance (Anaïs), who arrives at the mansion of the experienced Lola (Katja Kean), where she is initiated into the mysteries of sexuality. The story is told in flashback via a framing device with lyrical diary excerpts and narration read by mainstream actresses Christiane Bjørg Nielsen and Hella JoofHella Joof
Hella Joof is a Danish actress and director. She was born to a Danish mother and a Gambian father.Joof directed En kort en lang , Oh Happy Day and Fidibus and is considered one of Denmark's more important directors...
(in the English-language version Susan Olsen and Helle Fagralid
Helle Fagralid
Helle Fagralid is a Danish actress of Faroese descent who has appeared in number of feature films and television series, often cast as a particularly attractive young woman.- Biography :...
).
Critical reception
The film was shown in mainstream cinemas in Europe, and was reviewed by mainstream film critics. The Stockholm Film Festival arranged a special screening in Stockholm on Valentine's Day.Constance became a considerable success, and generated considerable hype, especially in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. It was nominated for three AVN Awards: Best Art Direction - Video, Best Music and Best Videography. The reaction of film critics was mixed however.
In 2006, the film's artistic merits were partly responsible for porn being legalized in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
In September 2007, Germany's biggest weekly magazine Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
wrote: "Women too like to see other people having sex. What they don’t like is the endless close-ups of hammering bodyparts without a story. Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
is the first to have realised this and produced valuable quality porn films for women."