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Thursday, May 11, 2023
Happy Birthday today May 12th
Monumental Movie Moments: Grande école
Sex ist eine Welt für sich (Sex is a world unto itself)
One of my favorite gay films, one of my favorite foreign films, one of my favorite movies of any genre is 2004's Grande école. It was the film that first introduced me to actors Grégori Baquet, Salim Kechiouche, and the sadly gone far too soon Jocelyn Quivrin .All three were naked in the film, but only Quivrin was naked in the film's famous shower scene.
If you remember the film, you know it centered on a bet, who would have sex with the lovey Lous (Quivrin) first. The bet was between Paul, (Baquet) and his girlfriend Agnes. They been going out for awhile and she wasn't pleased when Paul decided he rather live with two male roommates on campus than shacking up with her. It soon becomes clear why.
Once Paul meets the luscious Louis, his behavior begins to change. He's sexually attracted to his straight, handsome roommate, something Paul doesn't initially realize himself. Agnes understands though, and is the one who comes up with the bet. The prize? If she wins, Paul will will commit to her and shove his desires for me down deep. If he wins, she promises to walk away. As all this is going on, Paul meets Mecir, (Kechiouche) and it's Mecir who becomes the first man that Paul sleeps with.
But back to that shower scene... It's so beautifully directed and orchestrated as the closeted Paul sits while Louis, the man he lusts over, and the rest of Louis' water polo team, strip down and shower to a captive audience of one.
Paul looks both visually uncomfortable and in a visual heaven, something Louis seems to eventually pick up on by the time the shower scene is coming to end. There are many great film shower scenes with naked actors but this remains a favorite. I tried to find a blu-ray copy, but ended up going with my old DVD. If anyone has a better quality version, let me know.
The Hesitant Exhibitionist: Axle by macpics
'I really like the vulnerability of being completely exposed and having nowhere to hide.'
You might be asking yourself how an exhibitionist, and in the case of Axle, a self-described 'total exhibitionist' can be described as hesitant. Well... when Ian from macpics first sent on his work with Axle last year, Axle was instantly on board with a piece on FH. His hesitancy however, was with full frontals. Many exhibitionists don't care who, or how many people see their naked bodies, but others, like to exhibit not only their body, but a little control over what is publicly displayed.
For Axle, the thrill of exhibitionism stems from the process. The actual shoot itself, being completely naked in front a total stranger, and then the reaction from others when he posts the images on-line. Until now however, Axle has shared most of his nude images on his Instagram, meaning mostly posting implied nudes and butt shots. Taking that next step required some time and thought.
At first, I tried to put together a piece featuring only non-frontals from Axle's work with Ian. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Ian didn't spend much time, or focus too much energy, on Axle in clothes, and really, who can blame him. With his great face, incredible body and beautiful butt and penis, Axle's physique is a work of art that Ian wisely wanted to chronicle and capture au naturel!.
Axle and I went back and forth for a bit about whether to feature some cropped shots, but hate using using cropped images, and cropping off Axle at the waist, or covering up his flourishing frontal, would have been a crime, not to mention an artistic disservice to the work he and Ian created.
As much I wanted to feature this series of images, I tried not to push. I always attempt to respect a model's boundaries and their feelings on what is posted. That being said, sometimes patience truly is a virtue, and some of my favorites pieces on the site came from waiting until the time was just right. Last week, Axle let me know he'd been thinking about it, and was feeling more comfortable with having his frontals featured. Once he made that decision, I could feel his exhibitionist side getting excited about being able to share more of himself than what the restrictions on Instagram will allow.
What inspired you to begin modeling?
I was a very shy child and teenager, which included being shy about being naked. As I got older I realized how much I loved nudity, however, I felt embarrassed about my love of being nude and hid it away.
As I got older I gradually tried nudity in different contexts, starting with nude beaches and taking nude photos of myself, and I began to post partial nudes to an Instagram account. As I continued to get more confident I decided to do some shoots with photographers, initially not showing my face or penis in photos, but gradually revealing more of myself.
So modeling nude wasn't initially part of the plan?
Nude modelling was definitely not part of the plan, but has helped me feel more confident in all aspects of life. My close friendship group all know about my exhibitionist streak. It feels incredible not to hide away my true self and be seen. Now they lovingly make fun of me about being nude all the time, which makes me feel very accepted.
Tell me about your first nude shoot, how nervous were you?
I think my first ever photo shoot was with Ross Spirou. I wasn't very nervous at all as by then I'd spent a year posting pictures of my butt in Instagram and was comfortable being naked. Also, Ross was very supportive and I felt very safe posing in front of his camera. Posing naked has always felt very empowering for me. I like to perform for the camera.
Any concepts photographers suggest you decide are not for you?
I love to push my boundaries so always love suggestions from photographers. I like to pose for artistic poses, so as long as the images have an artistic component I'm generally open to ideas.
What has been your favorite experience so far?
Too many to list, and there have been so many great photographers that I wouldn't want to choose. I love when both my personality and the personality/style of the photographer come through in the photos. More recently I've really enjoyed exploring the boundary between kink and art through photos.
Can you share any thoughts on your time working with Ian?
Ian and I first connected on Instagram about shooting. We had a great time trying to find new places to photograph in the apartment. I felt completely comfortable with Ian and so gradually as we worked, the photos got sexier and more relaxed. Ian was very friendly and made me feel comfortable.
Is there a photographer you'd love to be shot by?
Too many to list. I would love to be in photoshoots in exciting locations and with unique points of view. I model for fun, so I like the shoot itself to be fun, challenging, and unique. I also have some more shoots focused on kink coming soon that I'm very excited about.
What is it about modeling you enjoy the most?
I like creating art with someone talented. I really like the vulnerability of being completely exposed and having nowhere to hide. After living many years feeling ashamed, it is liberating to know that you have been exposed (in body and soul), and I've found that this has enabled me to be my complete self around other people rather than hiding away.
What part of your body gets the most attention from others?
Until recently it was definitely my butt that got the most attention. However, as I've grown more comfortable doing frontal shots I've found that it also gets a lot of focus. My favourite thing to show off in a photo will always be my butt though.
You were initially hesitant about featuring frontals on the site, what made you decide to go for it?
Every now and then I worry that people in my life who don't know about this side of me will find these photos and there will be negative consequences for me. However, I don't want to live my life waiting for things to turn to shit, and instead I've decided to live my life authentically and deal with whatever comes my way. I know that the liberation I feel from fully embracing myself and my body will be worth any potential future embarrassment.
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