The Artist and the Pervert

Event Information

Together, Georg Friedrich Haas and his wife Mollena Williams-Haas have been looking for the right partner for over 40 years before they finally found each other on the dating website OKCupid. Their first date was wild, passionate, and seemingly promising, so the renowned Austrian composer and the American sex educator, author and performer decided to go steady. Soon after they lived happily and in a BDSM relationship, which they made public in an article in the New York Times: Mollena is Georg’s 24/7 “slave” and muse, Georg is her “master”. But this is not the only reason they make a rather unusual couple. Mollena is a descendant of African slaves, Georg the child of Austrian Nazis. She grew up in poor conditions in New York, while he was raised on a mountain at 1.000 meters above sea level in Montafon. She is African-American. He is a white European – a tense racial combination, considering their relationship power dynamics.

After going public with their relationship, both received recognition and approval, but also a lot of criticism. Some believed it to be a marketing stunt, others insisted on a strict separation of work, art and private life, or even called them “perverts”. Critics questioned their morals and decisions: How can Georg call himself a feminist if he wants to dominate his wife? How can an African-American woman voluntarily accept such a submissive role? The story is told without narrator or expositional commentary. Instead, friends and colleagues, but especially the protagonists themselves get their say.

They talk about their different origins and childhoods, their difficulties in self-acceptance, their life struggles and shame, but also about their art, self-discovery and their journey towards radical self-expression.

THE GUESTS:

Caritia is a Berlin based queer, woman of colour (Afro-Caribbean decent) who explores transformation, shadow aspects and communication through body play. Her work brings into focus the growth potential of exploring fears and shadows. Caritia is a fearless warrior of ritual, combining shamanic practices, ritual with her over 18 years experience within the varied realms of kink, creation and art. Caritia’s R.A.C.K – (risk aware consensual kink,) advocacy offers those who chose to work with her, the space to truly own their journey of self-empowerment and exploration.
www.facebook.com/Caritia
www.caritia.com

Beatrice Behn is the director of The Artist and The Pervert. She is also the editor in chief at the biggest German online-filmmagazine Kino-Zeit and has been working as a film critic for over 10 years. She is currently finishing a master’s degree in film studies at the Free University Berlin. Her work focuses on indie cinema, body – and gender studies as well as feminist film studies. ̓The Artist & The Pervert‘ is her first feature length documentary.

René Gebhardt is the other director of The Artist & The Pervert. He is also a German art director, designer and filmmaker. He won numerous national and international creative awards for his works as an art director, 10 Lions at the ‚Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity‘ among them. ̓The Artist & The Pervert‘ is his first feature-length documentary.