Touch Me (1994)

Background


Paul Cox was serving as the jury president for the “Arts and Cinema” competition at the 1993 Istanbul International Film Festival when Ziegler Film approached him about making an Erotic Tale. “Would around Christmas be okay? I’ve got a few weeks free between projects. But what’s an erotic tale?” A stopover visit to Berlin resolved the issue: he spent a weekend “surfing” the private channels looking for something that vaguely resembled an erotic film. “Maybe it’s time to make a sweet, tender movie about two girls spending a wonderful weekend together at a farm in the country…”


Cox’s Illumination Films survives on the principle that the best way to compete against Hollywood is to form your own company and “make low-budget films against the grain.” Man Of Flowers (1983) and My First Wife (1984) dealt with sex, fantasy, and the outsider as few independent filmmakers would dare, “because they’re honest films about myself, about my own emotions, but I guess they say something to other people as well.”


For the teasing opening scene in Touch Me, Paul Cox assembled all his friends to paint a “Naked Maya” in an art-studio. Then his “Maya” went off to spend a tender weekend in the country with the art teacher…to commune with nature…over wine and Mozart. Touch Me was desired by a gay and lesbian festival. “This is as close to soft-porno as you can get and still be watching an erotic tale,” voiced a critic. “Claudia Karvan is beautiful,” said another. So is Gosia Dobrowolska, an art teacher any normal male would like to spend a weekend with in the country.



Synopsis


Two woman, the elder in her early forties. the younger in her twenties. They are good friends. The older woman. Sarah, is an artist, a painter, who has first and foremost found solace and sexual fulfillment in her work. The young woman, Christine who often models for Sarah's art classes. is heartbroken about her lover: the man does not understand her.


We watch the close rapport between the two women as Christine patiently poses for Sarah's rather whacky group of students. After classes, Christine talks about her relationship with Roderick. " I used to really like him. Sometimes I still do". He's even jealous of her posing for art classes. Says she doesn't have the body.


We see Christine at home with her boyfriend. It is hardly a scene of passion and love. Their lovemaking is routine... As complete contrast, we see Sarah's illicit rendevous with her married lover, Stewart. Abandoned and carefree passion. Sarah persuades Christine to join her for a weekend in her country house in the hills outside Melbourne. For the first time, Christine smiles. She discovers a trampoline in the middle of a meadow filled with yellow flowers. She chases wild horses through the fields and the two of them scream with delight as they rush back to the house In the evening, they relax in front of the fire. Sarah gently massages Christine. Their weekend is over, Christine returns to the city totally self-contained in her newly found sensuality and freedom.


Touch me


Two women, one in her early forties, the other one in her twenties. The older woman, Sarah, is an artist, a painter, who has found fulfillment in her work. The young woman, Christine often models for Sarah's art classes. She is heartbroken because her lover doesn’t understand her. We watch the close rapport between the two women as Christine patiently poses for Sarah's rather whacky group of students. After classes, Christine talks about her relationship with Roderick. „I used to really like him. Sometimes I still do". We see Christine at home with her boyfriend. It is hardly a scene of passion and love. Their lovemaking is routine... As complete contrast, we see Sarah's illicit rendezvous with her married lover, Stewart. Pure passion! Sarah persuades Christine to join her for a weekend in her country house in the hills outside Melbourne. When their weekend is over, Christine returns to the city totally self-contained in her newly found sensuality and freedom.




Besetzung

Gosia Dobrowolska, Claudia Karvan, Chris Haywood, Barry Otto, David Field, Norman Kaye

Stab

Regie
Paul Cox

Drehbuch
Paul Cox, Barry Dickens, Margot Wiburd

Kamera
Nino Martinetti ASC

Schnitt
Paul Cox

Ton
Dolby SR

Musik
Ranjit Saha

Szenenbild
Neil Angwin

ProduzentIn
Regina Ziegler

Redaktion
Ronald Gräbe, WDR

Infos

Genre
Short Feature

Format
35mm; colour; 1:1,85

Länge
28 min.

© 2024 ZIEGLER FILM GmbH & Co. KG