The holiday period TV repeats gave me the opportunity, finally, to watch the (UK) Channel 5 documentary How Fetish Conquered The World, which I’d missed on its first screening earlier in the year.
Although I didn’t appear in this programme, it looked suspiciously, from the general tone and content, like the one that I was interviewed for towards the end of 2005. And sure enough, when the credits rolled at the end, there I was, wrongly spelt as Tony Michell but nevertheless acknowledged for my (invisible) contribution. But believe me, I’m not just trying to put a brave face on things when I say I’m grateful for my non-appearance. I had plugged my old firm Skin Two throughout the interview and was not looking forward to seeing myself promoting an organisation that had subsequently dispensed with my services.
Anyway, even without any soundbites from moi in it, How Fetish Conquered The World has to rank as one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen on fetishism and BDSM. It was authoritative, non-judgemental, non-sensationalist, full of interesting opinion and analysis, and packed with hot visuals, a few of which I’ve included here.
L-R: Mistress Margo & slave; Mistress Miyabe; ropemaster Akira Naka & model
Expertise was provided by some pretty heavyweight commentators from both sides of the Atlantic, including editor Diane Hanson, author Katherine Gates and photographer Eric Kroll from the US, and Wellcome Library archivist Dr Lesley Hall, film critic Derek Malcolm and the inimitable Germaine Greer from the UK. There were interviews with American and Japanese dominatrixes and slaves, British pony racing enthusiasts and inflatable latex lovers, and Japanese bondage practitioners. Clips were included from such seminal SM movies as Barbette Schroeder’s Maitresse, Just Jaeckin’s Story Of O and Masaru Konuma’s ground-breaking Wife To Be Sacrificed (Ikenie fujin).
L-R: Maitresse (1976); Story Of O (1975); Wife To Be Sacrificed (1974)
Never as far as I know released in the UK, but available on DVD from Kino.com in the US, the visually stunning Wife To Be Sacrificed, a product of the ailing 1970s Japanese movie industry’s move into so-called ‘pink film’, was one of several revelations delivered by this hour-long documentary.
Another came in the guise of latex-hooded-and-catsuited New York dominatrix Mistress Ayla (aka Ayla Alya) — see top picture and below. Her extreme medical scenes with a male slave and her interview pieces direct to camera had two very different tones, but were conducted with equally impressive panache. Definitely someone worth talking to for my upcoming webzine The Fetishistas. Unfortunately though, the lady seems, at least for the moment, to have disappeared off the face of the earth. If you’re out there somewhere Ayla, please get in touch!
L-R: Mistress Ayla and slave; The Other Pony Club; Mr Blow-Up
How Fetish Conquered The World was written and directed by Jim Funnell for independent London production company Illuminations, who were commissioned by Channel 5. At this point the show is not obtainable as a commercial DVD, but if it ever becomes available, it would be one for every perv to add to their collection. In the meantime, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for any re-appearances on TV.
www.channel5.com
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
www.kino.com
www.thefetishistas.com
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