Morgana Movie Review: The Incredible Story of Morgana Muses, now a documentary
Morgana is based on the real-life story of Morgana Muses. Below is our movie review.
- Plot: A suicidal housewife becomes a successful feminist porn maker in her later forties
- Cast: Morgana Muses
- Genre: Documentary
- Directors: Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess
- Producers: Isabel Peppard, Josie Hess, Karina Astrup
- Who is it for? Everyone 18+ – Contains nudity and graphic sex scenes
- Verdict: Highly Recommended
Spoiler Alert: Some information about the plot and themes covered by the documentary will be discussed in this article.
As a woman in my late forties, I can’t help but notice the lack of movies about us! It is well documented that opportunities for women over 40 in Hollywood productions fall dramatically and get rarer as actresses age. The few roles available to women in this age group are often of the ‘mother’ or ‘wife’ of someone more important, more intelligent and more sexy than them. It almost feels like women reach a certain age and must automatically hang up their vaginas (and sexuality), as brilliantly captured by Amy Schummer in her “Last Fuckable Day” skit.
I often find myself craving for stories about my peers that I can too relate. That is why I was so attracted to the documentary Morgana, about a depressed Australian housewife turned feminist porn star. I first came across this story when filmmakers Josie Hess, Isabel Peppard and Karina Astrup launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 to raise funds for the project. It is no surprise that this documentary came to life thanks to the initiative of independent filmmakers rather than big production companies.
It was exciting to see the fundraiser achieving its target dollar figure allowing the feature movie to come to life. Fast forward three years, I finally watched Morgana and it didn’t disappoint!
Morgana is a documentary based on the real-life story of Morgana Muses. The early part of the movie takes viewers back to her childhood, adolescence and married life. The movie goes on to show her transformation and her journey into the feminist porn industry. By covering Morgana’s journey, the documentary also touches on complex themes that will deeply resonate with older women such as ageism, sexism, body image and identity.
The chemistry and trust between Morgana and the filmmakers – Josie Hess often appears in front of the camera – are palpable, resulting in compelling moments and many deeply open conversations. The ups and downs of Morgana’s life and her struggles with her mental health are honestly explored. All of that keeps the viewer engaged from beginning to end. The cinematography is beautiful and the bright colours and clever use of light are a perfect match for Morgana’s colourful personality and do justice to Morgana’s own creativity as feminist porn performer and director.
But, Is Morgana a Porn Movie?
No, it is a documentary (recommended for adults, that’s for sure). However, you don’t need to be a porn movie fan to enjoy Morgana. The universal themes of mental health, self-esteem, love and belonging make this movie very relatable and a great option for anyone 18+. Nevertheless, graphic sex scenes and nudity are present as the filmmakers take us to the behind the scenes of porn movies. It feels that the feminist porn industry is one of the main characters and I learned a great deal about it.
Morgana has been selected for the 67th Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition. If you are based in Australia, you can get tickets here. The Sydney Film Festival screening is geo-blocked for non-Australian locations. The documentary team is working hard to bring this movie to different parts of the world.
Highly recommended!
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What movies feature older women as the main protagonist?
Bridget Jones Baby (2016), Gloria (2014), Still Alice (2015), Grandma (2015), Hidden Figures (2017)
-
What is Ethical Feminist Porn?
Simply put, feminist porn is made by women for women. It is also referred to as ethical porn and fair trade porn. There is great emphasis on equal pay and on performers’ safety and consensus.
-
Who are the main feminist porn filmmakers?
Erika Lust, from Lust Cinema; Cindy Gallop from Make Love Not Porn (MLNP), Candida Royalle and Morgana Muses who is behind production company Permission 4 Pleasure are some of them.
