THE HEROINE IN MORGANA

They say that heroes/heroines have superpowers and that holds for Morgana who was once a housewife for 20 years in a sexless and loveless marriage.  At the age of 50, all those superpowers started to come out when she wanted a last hurrah with a male escort before committing suicide.  She then heard about this international first-timer erotic filmmakers competition which inspired her to make her first film “Duty Bound” with that male escort.

Little did Morgana know that this would open up a whole new world where she would experience personal and sexual freedom.  Her film won the competition which led her from Australia to Berlin where she would meet her other family in the film world who all inspired her to make more films and craft her art.   This family would include actors, actresses, producers, directors, festival organizers, the erotic feminist film community and above all her fans who showed her all the love that she once desired and thought she would never attain when she was a dutiful housewife and a caring mother of two.

Escaping those chains of life in conventional jailhouses where Morgana used to live was going nowhere fast.  Defying the odds and breaking the status quo makes Morgana a leader and a heroic figure.  To have a woman enjoy life, love and sex after a certain age which is looked down upon in many of our “so-called” postmodern societies is just downright torture.  We are so quick to judge and throw stones from glasshouses but sometimes those glasshouses are amongst those where many of us can’t escape from.  Morgana was able to and now she is telling her story.  FERNTV spoke to the Morgana about her self-titled film set to premiere at this year’s Fantasia Fim Festival which is set to fly.

FERNTV:  What was it that made you inspired you to have a documentary on yourself and the life you had lived or are still living?

Morgana:  Well at first Josie and Isabel (the Directors) were only making a short film, about my 50th Birthday experience, where I was tied up in a bondage installation (by rope artist Garth Knight) so initially, that’s how the project started – my story kept evolving so the team kept filming and the documentary became a feature film. I think ultimately, I wanted to share my story because I want to show people that there is no expiration date on sexuality, but also the reality of living with mental illness.

FERNTV:   What did you learn about yourself after watching this documentary on you?

Morgana:  Well, I now know that I often cover my mouth during orgasms. I think the film does a wonderful job of explaining why porn and BDSM were healthy choices for me to pursue, I think it clarified for me a very transitional period in my life. Within about 5 years I was an entirely different person from where I started and this film captured that change.

FERNTV:  How do you see the role of women in the future and themselves under those institutions that locked down your sexuality?

Morgana:  Ever since I started releasing my work, and now with this documentary, I get messages and emails from people who are in situations like I was, repressed and conservative places where they are unable to be themselves. It’s heartbreaking. I think we need to continue to work to remove the stigma around sex and sexuality especially as people get older so we are all able to live how we want to without being shamed for it.

FERNTV:    Do you feel that there is a difference in sexuality when it comes to different countries?  ie.  Australia and Berlin

Morgana:  For me, it felt like a huge difference. I’m not sure why, but Australia has a large conservative streak when it comes to sexuality – we can be very uptight, especially in small towns like where I was from. Germany embraced me, I even felt that they venerated older women in a way that I didn’t think was possible. It’s a pretty natural thing, to want to be desired.

FERNTV:  Tell us what it was like to be on the production (editing, sound) side of things (on your films) and briefly describe the experience?

Morgana:  I produce, write and direct my films (and often do the set design!) I work with a small crew, mostly my partner Josie Hess who does the camera work and editing. I usually have an idea, write a splat draft and then Josie and I work out how to make it into a reality. We have very minimal crews to keep everything intimate and secure for the performers.

FERNTV:  Were you influenced by any porn stars while doing those films?  Can you tell us who and why?

Morgana:  I’m a huge fan of Annie Sprinkle and Candida Royalle, two incredible women who have paved the way for age-positive sex and sexuality to be normalized. Their work to me is groundbreaking and changed how people thought of porn!

FERNTV:  For those who are not in the know, what is it like to find a family within a film festival?

Morgana:  If you’ve ever felt like the weirdo, or the odd one out, or the loser with no friends and then found ‘your people’ you know how incredible it is to finally find people who accept you for who you are. Chosen families are brought together for all sorts of reasons, and in my case, it was around BDSM and the Indie Porn Film Festival world. It felt like coming home.

FERNTV:  How does it feel to be part of Fantasia this year?

Morgana:   It’s honestly very very humbling to be included. I’m a little nervous to see what a larger international audience thinks of me and my work. I’m encouraged by how Australia has received the film so far. But now we are breaking out into a world tour and it’s something else! Of course, the pandemic makes everything a little surreal, but I’m very glad that festivals like Fantasia have found a way forward.