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Job Interview

Sex Lives and Videotape By Jack Shamama Duboce Triangle local Kadet, 31, may be a mild-mannered musician by day, but documentary film work consumes her nights. How apropos. What is your name? I go by Kadet. I chose a name different from my birth name so as to remain anonymous as an art-porn filmmaker, you know, in case my mom decides to hit the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in Minneapolis. What is your job? I gather together ex-lovers, friends or girls I would like to "get friendly" with and capture their sexual selves on film and video. Since playing doctor with girls starting at age 6 I've been so taken by how playful and driven girls are sexually. Female passivity has always been a myth in my experience; it's my job to document the truth. What was your inspiration to enter this career? The first lesbian pornos I was exposed to definitely inspired me to stop complaining and pick up my camera. Either they were made by straight men for straight men or by dykes with too traditional of an aesthetic for my taste. The rave scene at that time, along with MTV, was introducing quickly juxtaposed and pulsating images, full of vibrant colors and high energy; that style really excited me and made me want to produce images of women beyond the typically slow, sensuous and predictable representations. How long have you been doing this? Since my 25th birthday ... I was hooked immediately. There is no better way to spend my time other than to actually be having sex myself, which sometimes ends up happening in the process. What are your pet peeves about this career? Most film festivals don't generate enough money to pay filmmakers for screening their video and film shorts. This is particularly true for domestic festivals, given the state of art funding in this country. Also, porn has a certain reputation that isn't typically in the category of "art." But these points of contention don't overshadow the satisfaction of taking media into my own hands. [ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]