SQIFF Seduction: The Cruel Woman

Loosely inspired by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s (after whom ‘masochism’ is named) book Venus in Furs, filmmakers Monika Treut and Elfi Mikesch’s take features a dominatrix called Wanda, who runs a Hamburg art gallery where audiences pay to watch sadomasochistic performances. The boundaries between Wanda’s personal and professional lives blur as three people vie for her affections and she plays them off against each other: her American ‘trainee’ Justine, shoe-fetishist Caren, and her simpering ex-husband Gregor.

A bold look at the crossover between art and S&M. Content note: Surreal and ambiguous scenes of sexual humiliation.