AR: Besides the geographic distance from Porn Valley in Los Angeles, what do you think is different about making erotic films in Australia? What is the "distinct Australian flavour" that you refer to?
AB: Australia doesn't have a porn industry, its more like a cottage industry here. Despite being the same size as America, we have a considerably smaller population, so that coupled with the fact it is illegal to make pornography for video or film outside on the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), it is also the only place you can legally distribute and buy porn from! However, it does get made (and sold) in other parts of the country and there are ways around it through the prostitution act (yes prostitution is legalized and regulated in most Australian states), but I do think it deters a lot of people from making it and the laws here are very strange, for example the state I live in, I can?t legally shot porn for DVD or video but I can for web!!! Yeah go figure!!!

In regards to our "distinct Australian flavour," main characteristic of Australia is fit, natural bodies. There isn't the same obsession with plastic surgery as in America (that is changing though), and we wanted to use natural bodies that celebrate a diversity of women and men, rather than the homogenized ideals that are served up to you in most American pornography. Combining humour with sex and having a laugh at ourselves is also a very Australian thing!

We have also thrown in some shots of kangaroos for good measure!

AR: How do you feel about the word "pornography"? It seems that your choice phrase is "erotic films."

AB: When I first decided to make a film with hardcore content, I wanted to explore a sex positive environment, were sex was a positive thing, to be celebrated and embraced, for the sex scenes to break from the traditional conventional depictions of erotica and in particular explicit sex. Making films that looked at female sexual responses and female fantasies, not like the majority of erotica/pornography that is aimed at a heterosexual male market, catering to their view point and desires.

Most erotica or pornography follows an extremely formulaic visual and aural representation of sex, which was aimed to a man's point of view and desires and its obsession with the objectification of the female
form. Where men become just a warm prop, a meat puppet, his face or form removed from the viewing experience and the camera focused almost extensively on his erect penis.

Originally, we decided to call it "Chick Porn," but this caused many problems in people's perception of what we were trying to do, being high quality erotica with storylines aimed at a female audience, a cross over film that could slot into the Art House. The term "Chick Porn" made most people assume we were making cheap and nasty lesbian porn (again a product that is aimed at the heterosexual male market). Instead I wanted to revisit and continue to explore themes that have been present in my previous work; the objectification and fetishization of the male form.

Drawing influences from the films of Claire Denis, Catherine Breillat, photographers Duane Michals, I wanted darkened blurred images, that tantalized and teased at times showing you details but not being purely about genitals, and their penetration, the idea that a hand along a body can be just as erotica and sensual, that what is hidden or not completely real can stimulate the body and the mind and arose the desire. Coupled with the humour of a Russ Meyers film, making sex fun and funny, stepping away for the obsession in our society with weighting sex with heavy connotation of love and romance. As well as exploring sexuality and the blurred the lines of gender, and the feminization of men that has occurred in out society.

When shooting the film, I wanted to break with the conventions and formulaic manner that erotica is traditionally shot. We wanted the scenes to have a natural flow, to not be dictated by desired camera angle, and the sex to be representative of the situation. In the case of "The Band" most of the sex scenes are one-night stands, sex without the intimacy, which contrasts with the scene between the main characters, as it is about love and a growing bond between the two. Also providing a safe and comfortable environment for the actors was important so that they could enjoy themselves and that this enjoyment would be present in their performances. This lead to a feeling of excitement on set that we were creating something new and exciting, breaking boundaries and challenging society's attitude towards sex.

AR: What makes a porn/erotic film moral and ethical in its content and production?
AB: When we had casting problems, I remember questioning myself: "How could I get actors to do what I'm asking if I can't do it myself?? Even in mainstream films, as a director you get actors to do lots of things you wouldn't, but once it becomes about the body and its use society still see it as demeaning, yet compromising your spirituality or moral, ethical values isn't, i.e. working for a large company.

Ethically, I wanted the women in the film to be depicted as strong, sexually confident, not passive characters, to celebrate the diversity of sexual desire. It was very important to use that no one was being coerced into performing in the film and that they were not drug affected. We paid the actors much more than a "normal" erotic/porn film and we also gave then the choice of how and what they wanted to do in the sex scenes. The sex scenes were shot with a closed set; often it was just Sanne Kurz, my female DOP, and myself in the room, as I wanted them to feel safe and comfortable.