‘Morgana’ Trailer: An Unbelievable True Story About a Most Unexpected Porn Star and Director

Kate Erbland
·2 min read

It’s the kind of thing you could only ever expect to find in a movie (well, maybe): the story of a desperate housewife who, disappointed with the trajectory of her life, considers ending it all, only to find salvation in the most unexpected of places. Such is the story of “Morgana,” which takes that idea to wild (and ultimately quite satisfying) new ends, with a twist or two along the way.

Per its official synopsis, the film follows Morgana Muses who, “after 20 years as a dutiful housewife stuck in a loveless, sexless marriage … has had enough of her dreary life. Desperately lonely and starved of intimacy, she books a male escort for one last hurrah before ending it all. Her final night takes an unexpected turn when her relationship with the escort opens up a new world of personal and sexual freedom. Instead of killing herself, Morgana makes an award-winning porn film about their date, moves from suburban Australia to Berlin, and becomes a celebrated feminist porn director and star.”

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Oh, and one other thing: it’s all true, and “Morgana” is a documentary about a remarkable woman, one who chose to embrace life on her terms, finding connection and acceptance in an often misunderstood community. The film combines interviews, verite elements, handmade miniature elements, animation, archival footage, and Morgana’s own erotica films to tell the story of her remarkable life.

Co-directors Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess first met in 2013 at a punk gig in inner city Melbourne, and “over beers, rants about the film industry and smashing the patriarchy, a friendship and collaboration was born.” “Morgana” took the pair five years to make, and saw Peppard and Hess traveling the world, from rural Australia to the BDSM clubs of Berlin, to best tell Morgana’s story.

“Morgana” will next screen as part of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, one of the industry’s most robust genre festivals which has, for this year, adopted a fully digital experience. The fest runs August 20 to September 20 and you can find out more about its deep offerings right here.

Check out the first trailer for “Morgana,” exclusively on IndieWire, below. You can also find out more information about the film over at its official website.

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