The day before shooting began on "Pleasure," Swedish writer-director Ninja Thyberg's feature debut about the adult film industry and the imbalanced power structures within it, she and the film's star (newcomer Sofia Kappel) got matching tattoos.
"She asked if she could get a tattoo of (her character's name) Bella Cherry, and I thought that was a good idea, (becausw) it would really work with the character," said Thyberg. "And then I decided that I would do it with her as a friendship tattoo. I don't have any other tattoos, and I thought I would never get one, but it felt like this bonding (moment)."
The movie — starring Kappel as Cherry, an ambitious young porn amateur determined to ascend the ranks of the industry as quickly as she can — premiered at last year's virtual Sundance Film Festival and is now playing in limited release in an unrated and uncensored cut from the indie distributor Neon.
