7th(2005)
Writer of O / Ecrivain d\'O
Pola Rapaport
- France, USA
- 2004
- 80min
- Beta
- color
SYNOPSIS
The author of The Story of O, the erotic novel that scandalized the world with its boldness and lewdness of expression since its publication, has been hiding away for decades. Known as Pauline Réage at its publication in 1954, the author was later revealed to be Dominique Aury (an editor for Galimard, the most prestigious French publishing house) by an English journalist. Director Pola Rapaport had always been considerably curious about the person behind the book, a book that she read in secret during her adolescence. At last, Rapaport searched for Dominique Aury and found her by inputting in her name into a digital phone book: Aury, at the age of eighty-nine lived on the outskirts of Paris.
Interviews with an older Aury are cross-cut with the dramatizations of Aury in bygone days, and enactments from her novel. Various people talk open-mindedly about Dominique Aury, her novel, and the cultural atmosphere of Paris during the 1950s. Dominique Aury reveals her motivation for writing the book, her secret love affair with the celebrated French man of letters, Jean Paulhan. With diverse and experimental forms, Writer of O is a striking documentary crossing the boundaries of documentary and fiction. (Lim Sung-min)
Interviews with an older Aury are cross-cut with the dramatizations of Aury in bygone days, and enactments from her novel. Various people talk open-mindedly about Dominique Aury, her novel, and the cultural atmosphere of Paris during the 1950s. Dominique Aury reveals her motivation for writing the book, her secret love affair with the celebrated French man of letters, Jean Paulhan. With diverse and experimental forms, Writer of O is a striking documentary crossing the boundaries of documentary and fiction. (Lim Sung-min)
PROGRAM NOTE
The author of The Story of O, the erotic novel that scandalized the world with its boldness and lewdness of expression since its publication, has been hiding away for decades. Known as Pauline Réage at its publication in 1954, the author was later revealed to be Dominique Aury (an editor for Galimard, the most prestigious French publishing house) by an English journalist. Director Pola Rapaport had always been considerably curious about the person behind the book, a book that she read in secret during her adolescence. At last, Rapaport searched for Dominique Aury and found her by inputting in her name into a digital phone book: Aury, at the age of eighty-nine lived on the outskirts of Paris.
Interviews with an older Aury are cross-cut with the dramatizations of Aury in bygone days, and enactments from her novel. Various people talk open-mindedly about Dominique Aury, her novel, and the cultural atmosphere of Paris during the 1950s. Dominique Aury reveals her motivation for writing the book, her secret love affair with the celebrated French man of letters, Jean Paulhan. With diverse and experimental forms, Writer of O is a striking documentary crossing the boundaries of documentary and fiction. (Lim Sung-min)
Interviews with an older Aury are cross-cut with the dramatizations of Aury in bygone days, and enactments from her novel. Various people talk open-mindedly about Dominique Aury, her novel, and the cultural atmosphere of Paris during the 1950s. Dominique Aury reveals her motivation for writing the book, her secret love affair with the celebrated French man of letters, Jean Paulhan. With diverse and experimental forms, Writer of O is a striking documentary crossing the boundaries of documentary and fiction. (Lim Sung-min)
Director
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Pola RapaportPola Rapaport
Pola Rapaport was born in Madison, Wisconsin and grew up in New York City, where she is currently living. She has worked as a film and sound editor on documentaries for Maysles Films, Columbia Artists and the National Geographic channel. In addition to several short films, her work as a director includes the feature film Blind Light (1998) and the documentaries Family Secret (2000) and Writer of O (2004). Writer of O has been screened at several international film festivals including Sundance, Rotterdam and the New York Documentary Film Festival.
Credit
- ProducerSylvie Cazin
- Cast Catherine Mouchet, Penelope Puymirat, Cyril Corral
- Screenwriter Pola Rapaport
- Cinematography Held Wolfgang
- Editor Variety Moszynski
- Music Hélène Blazy
- Sound Miriam Renè John Murphy
