9 to 5: Days in Porn

9 to 5: Days in Porn, also known as The Porn Diaries (UK), is a 2008 English-language German documentary film about the United States porn industry, written and directed by Jens Hoffmann.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

9 to 5: Days in Porn
Theatrical poster
Directed byJens Hoffmann
Produced byCleonice Comino
Written byJens Hoffmann
Music by
  • Alex McGowan
  • Michael Meinl
CinematographyJens Hoffmann
Edited by
Production
company
F24 Film
Distributed by
Release date
  • 24 August 2008 (2008-08-24) (Montreal)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryGermany
LanguageEnglish
German

Production

The documentary took five years to produce,[7] with over three years filming.[3] Through interviews with 77 persons, the film profiles 10 different members of the U.S.'s porn industry of the San Fernando Valley, where 80% of American pornography films are produced.[1] With an emphasis on the actors themselves, the documentary includes individuals involved in production.[6]

Interviews

Among the film's many interviewees are 2006 AVN Award winner Audrey Hollander, former porn star and Director of the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation Dr. Sharon Mitchell, stripper-turned-porn star/director Belladonna, as well as Katja Kassin, Otto Bauer, Sasha Grey,[6] Nina Hartley, John Stagliano, Roxy Deville, Mia Rose, and filmmaker Jim Powers.[2][8]

Other credited interviewees include American sex therapist Marty Klein, American pornographic actors/directors Joanna Angel, Jonni Darkko, Kimberly Kane, Skeeter Kerkove, Miles Long, and Pat Myne, Canadian pornographic actor and director Erik Everhard, French pornographic actor and director Manuel Ferrara, American porn actresses Monique Alexander, Ashley Blue, Cindy Crawford, Jada Fire, Jesse Jane, Lexi Love, Adrianna Nicole, Gia Paloma, Chelsie Rae, Ava Rose, Sierra Sinn, Lorelei Lee, Karen Stagliano, and Bobbi Starr, Slovak pornographic actress Claudia Rossi, British pornographic actress Sophie Dee, American porn actors Alex Sanders, and Johnny Thrust, adult model Sandee Westgate, and American porn producer/director Andrew Blake.[9]

Release

The documentary premiered at the Montréal Film Festival on August 24, 2008.[10][1] It was later shown in Duisburg, Germany during Film Week on November 3, 2008.[10] It showed in February 2009 in Berlin, Germany.[11] It then screened in March 2009 at the Miami International Film Festival and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in March, and in June at the Bellaria Film Festival, in Bellaria, Italy.[12]

Reception

Matt Prigge of Philadelphia Weekly wrote that while the documentary "deserves credit for trying to find as many angles from which to look at an industry as successful as it is loathed", it dealt too much with "vacuous porn star confessionals", its scope was too wide, the film lacked organization, and that "its take on the biz sometimes seems less complex than schizophrenic."[13]

Conversely, Cameron McGaughy of DVD Talk wrote that whether "you're a porn addict, a lover of revealing documentaries or just a curious voyeur, you certainly won't be bored with these 100 minutes." He felt that director Hoffman kept enough distance from the subject matter to allow viewers to decide for themselves. McGaughy was "surprisingly pleased with Hoffmann's effort", summarising that the film was "amusing, brutal, candid, honest, hysterical and heartbreaking" and that porn aficionados will find themselves "entertained and enlightened".[2]

Daniel Bickermann of Schnitt praised the film, writing "Hoffmanns großes und wichtiges Verdienst ist es dabei, beide Seiten parallel zu zeigen, nie zu urteilen und dabei trotzdem immer echte Sympathie für seine Figuren zu beweisen. So entstehen einige Momente reinster Dokumentarmagie" ("Hoffmann's great and important merit and is to show both sides in parallel, never judging, while still demonstrating genuine sympathy for his characters. This results in some moments of pure documentary magic").[3]

The JoBlo offered that he expected either a "gritty, highly-critical depiction of the porn industry, or a cheap, sexy fluff-piece produced and promoted by the porn industry." In admitting he was wrong in his original expectation, he wrote, "Amazingly, director Jens Hoffman crafts a surprisingly objective film, one that shows both the ups and downs of an industry that contains plenty of them, while avoiding ever preaching to either side."[6]

The Express offered "Hoffmanns Dokumentation wurde auf vielen Filmfestivals gefeiert, erhielt sogar eine Nominierung für den Deutschen Kamerapreis. Und die Kritiker sind sich einig: Der Regisseur porträtiert sensibel und intim, ohne schlüpfrig und voyeuristisch zu werden." ("Hoffmann's documentary was celebrated at many film festivals, even received a nomination for the German Camera. And the critics agree: The director portrayed sensitively and intimately, without having to be slippery and voyeuristic.")[14]

N24 offered "Hoffmann interessiert nicht die milliardenschwere Industrie, die dahinter steckt, ihn interessieren die Leute hinter und vor der Kamera. Er kommt den Akteuren nahe, die Szenen sind intim, aber nie voyeuristisch.". ("Hoffmann isn't interested in the billion-dollar industry that's behind it, he's interested in the people behind and in front of the camera. He gets close to the actors, the scenes are intimate, but never voyeuristic.")[15]

References
  1. Harvey, Dennis (September 2, 2008). "9 to 5: Days In Porn". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  2. McGaughy, Cameron. "DVD review: 9 to 5: Days in Porn". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  3. Bickermann, Daniel (July 2, 2009). "Angst und Schrecken in San Fernando" (in German). Schnitt. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  4. Bickermann, Daniel. "Nackt auf Schicht: Interview mit Jens Hoffmann" (in German). Schnitt. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  5. "9to5 – Days in Porn: Review zum DVD-Release". Spiele Filme Technik. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  6. "Part One of The Summer Movie Preview with JoBlo and Sasha Grey!". JoBlo. joblo.com. 26 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-12-31. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  7. Keck, Reinhard (2 July 2009). "Amerikas Pornoindustrie: "Münchner müssen ultraliberale Sex-Freaks sein". Abendzeitung (in German). abendzeitung.de. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  8. "9to5 – Days in Porn online, complete cast". I Watch Documentaries. iwatchdocumentaries.com. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  9. 9to5 – Days in Porn, onscreen credits. per the film itself.
  10. "9to5 - Days in Porn". Filmportal.de. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  11. "9to5: Days in Porn". The Junction (in German). thejunction.de. 7 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  12. "Anteprima mondiale al BFF". Sentieri Selvaggi (in Italian). sentieriselvaggi.it. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  13. Prigge, Matt (March 30, 2009). "I Review the First PFF/CF Weekend". Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  14. "Was passiert hinter den Kulissen eines Pornos?". Express (in German). express.de. 7 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  15. "Über die US-Pornoindustrie: 9to5 – Days in Porn". N24 (in German). n24.de. June 29, 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
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