The Exterminating Angels

Details

Release year: 2006

Storyline

A filmmaker holds a series of boundary-pushing auditions for his project about female pleasure.

Top credits

Did you know

• Suffusing the film are the facts of Jean-Claude Brisseau's own life: after the casting of his 2002 baroque-noir Secret Things (2002), during which he required the sexual complicity of his would-be starlets, four hopeful actresses, none of whom appeared in the final film, accused the director of harassment. He was charged, fined, let off with a suspended sentence.

• Lise Bellynck, Marie Allan and Maroussia Dubreuil, the three leading actresses, talked about the erotic auditions for this film: Bellynck said: "I did an erotic audition the first time I saw Jean-Claude. We went to the cafe, he said to me:" It's now or never ... " I said to myself: "What am I risking?" He wasn't going to rape me or kidnap me, I wasn't afraid of him. I thought about Secret Things (2002) and I dared. " Allan said: "We had a coffee, then we were in the set planned for the shoot, and I touched myself in front of him. I didn't really know if I was going to be able to do that, I'm a little embarrassed about my body. I really wanted to be taken, but also afraid to show myself to Brisseau. But I managed to fake an orgasm. " Dubreuil said: "My first attempt was with Lise. We played the first erotic scene of the film, as a duet, in the hotel room. I immediately felt that we were in a search, a job on eroticism, we weren't doing anything. In my head, there was no longer any question of me not being taken for the role. "

• On October 31, 2007, two actresses, one of whom stars in this movie, accused Jean-Claude Brisseau of rape, sexual assault and harassment for a period from August 2005 to September 2007. Marie Allan, then aged 29, accused the director of having abused her during erotic "castings", carried out face to face and without a camera, in public places or at Mr. Brisseau's home. According to her, Mr. Brisseau would have promised a leading role in one of his films and asked for that to work these intimate scenes. Same accusations from another actress, then aged 21, who said she suffered a "digital" rape by the filmmaker. Brisseau only admitted to having had a consensual sexual relationship with the first actress. A judicial investigation was opened, the man was heard as an assisted witness, but the procedure was abandoned for lack of evidence to establish "non-consent".

Box Office

Gross (Domestic): $23,308

Opening Weekend (Domestic): $6,485 (2007-03-11)

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Technical specs

Sound mix

Dolby, Dolby Digital

Aspect ratio

1.66 : 1

Color

Color