Festivals - Fantasia 2020 : Morgana, a new documentary

By Mulder, 07 august 2020

"I chose not to be shamed by society's expectation that I should just fade into the background after my divorce." – Morgana Muses

This multi-layered documentary portrait tracks Morgana’s efforts to dismantle society’s expectations while finding her authentic self, embracing community, and claiming space for a plus size woman in her fifties who just wants to have kinky sex on film. Combines interviews, verite, handmade miniature elements, animation, archival footage and Morgana’s own erotica films to tell a beautifully crafted story that is both intimate and universal.

Morgana co-directors Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess first met at a punk gig in inner city Melbourne. Isabel had just directed a successful short animation ‘Butterflies’, starring Rachael Griffith and Nicholas Hope and Josie was working at Monster Pictures and just beginning her career in erotica/ethical porn. Over beers, rants about the film industry and smashing the patriarchy, a friendship was born and the two began collaborating on a series of projects almost immediately.

One day Josie approached Isabel to document the 50th birthday of a female pornographer, Morgana Muses, who she was working for at the time. Morgana was to be suspended naked, in a large-scale bondage installation and then photographed as a birthday gift to herself. After meeting Morgana and learning that only 3 years earlier she had been a housewife in the suburbs of rural Australia, Isabel and Josie became fascinated by Morgana and her journey, approaching her to turn her life story into a documentary film. Initially it was only going to be a short documentary, but as the story and character progressed in unexpected ways; it grew into an intense feature length bio doc, which led the team from the suburbs of rural Victoria to the BDSM clubs of Berlin and beyond.

Morgana will be presented during the Fantasia Film Festival 2020 screening Digitally August 20 – Sept 2.

Synopsis :
After 20 years as a dutiful housewife stuck in a loveless, sexless marriage, Morgana has had enough of her dreary life. Desperately lonely and starved of intimacy, she books a male escort for one last hurrah before ending it all. Her final night takes an unexpected turn when her relationship with the escort opens up a new world of personal and sexual freedom. After hearing about a competition for first time erotic filmmakers, Morgana directs and stars in a film about her own story, ‘Duty-Bound’. Unexpectedly her film wins, catapulting her into the international Feminist Porn community. Life merges with art as Morgana uses erotic filmmaking as a tool for creative catharsis, while struggling with demons from her past.

Morgana
Directed by Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess
Produced by Karina Astrup
Edited by Julie-Anne De Ruvo
Music : Jordan Gilmour
Production : House of Gary
Running Time : 71mns