Directing Dominatrix, Monika Treut’s "Didn’t Do It For Love"

iW: It was originally Eva's idea to make the movie, but was she involved in post-production?

Treut: No. I didn't even give her the number of the editing room. She was furious, but I finally gave her a tape on the final day before I left New York. I knew it would take her weeks to be able to appreciate it. She had a hard time looking at it. She was in turmoil because it's like looking into a mirror. Then it helped her, because she started showing it around to her friends and they all liked it very much. Then in Berlin she was overjoyed. The Europeans were all over her and they loved it, so she had a good time. It's great, because she became the best P.R. person. I think it's changing her life for the better. She has something new to think about.

iW: Did you ever figure out who the real Eva Norvind is?

Treut: She is probably a kid. She doesn't know herself. Since she doesn't know who she is she will continue pushing limits and pursuing different things. I'm not surprised, just imagine if your mother pushed you to be a sexual dancer at age 15. And you are the main bread winner of the family. It's kind of weird. At times she can be an exhibitionist. She is fearless and funny to watch. She can also ask all the inappropriate questions. She can be a pain.

iW: You started your career making fiction features. Are you happy working in documentary?

Treut: At the moment I am. I find real life more interesting than fiction. Because there is no more independent film. Everything is gone corporate. Indie film is dead. I had one experience in Hollywood which was really devastating. The film, "Erotique" with Lizzie Borden and Claire Law. It was unbelievable. Every worst nightmare came true. It was the first time I had a decent budget and I had to suffer for it. So I said, "no more, goodbye." Now I work on very small budgets and make documentaries. I'm going underground now, because I want to have fun and I want to be independent. There are all these ideas in my head and I ask if I can do it documentary style. Then I just go, instead of waiting around and talking.

iW: You are one of the only living German directors who consistently finds international distribution. What was the German reaction to this film?

Treut: We opened in Berlin right after the Berlin Film Festival. The reaction was good. I'm still the "lesbo, underground director." I'm an outsider, but I have nice name recognition so I always get some money. It's not the government money, but television money. Hamburg TV does some risky stuff but they are being weary of this one. In Berlin there's a lot of international distributor interest, but my producer is taking care of that stuff.

iW: How did you get started as a director and a director of explicitly sexual films?

Treut: I didn't go to film school. I started writing theory and by accident became a director. I wrote my Ph.D thesis and it got published in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was about the Marquis de Sade. I'm intellectually interested in S&M. I had my phase of being into S&M clubs and stuff, but it's too much work. You have to schlep too many clothes around. Now I schlep a camera around. I don't want to be schlepping collars and leather and all this stuff around.

iW: What do you think of the New York Times calling you a, "German Lesbian Feminist Filmmaker?"

Treut: I don't care. It's just stupid that they have to continue to use these labels. For me as a European it's a different story. For me being gay is not such a big deal, especially not in Germany, Scandinavia or Holland. It's a big deal in France in some ways, because people are not "out" there. I've always been out in Germany. In this country it's so political. Everyone knew Fassbinder was gay and nobody gave a shit. With Rosa Von Praunheim and Ulrika Ottinger, we are decadent queers. Instead of being in the street marching up and down we are making our films. Once in a while we have a gay subject, but then we don't.