The three episodes of the documentary series directed by Mabel Lozano will be screened on 28 October for the first time in ‘SEMINCI Series’, the new non-competitive section of the Valladolid International Film Week

‘PornoXplotation’, a docuseries directed by Mabel Lozano and produced by Secuoya Studios’ Unscripted department, will be premiered at the 67th edition of the Valladolid International Film Week on 28 October (19:45) at the Zorrilla Theatre. This unprecedented, bold, brave and pioneering production denounces an opaque industry that hides its exploitation and sexual slavery. It is based on the book of the same name written by the winner of the 2021 Goya for the Best Short Documentary (‘Biography of a Woman’s Corpse’) and National Police inspector Pablo J. Conellie (Alrevés Editorial) and will be screened for the first time in the new non-competitive SEMINCI Series section, a space for viewing international productions for television and platforms. ‘PornoXplotation’ exposes the crude and chilling reality of the high price paid in porno on both sides of the screen: the victims that are the stars of a market that generates millions of euros based on economic vulnerability, threats, extortion and blackmail, but also those who consume it.

Through the true stories of women targeted to film thousands of hours of sexual content; interviews with retired porno actors; pornography addicts, parents of teenage victims of grooming and sextortion, and experts like Pablo Fernández (National Police inspector), Elena Colés (Civil Guard lieutenant against human trafficking), doctors in Sociology Beatriz Ranea and Lluís Ballester and psychologist Alejandro Villena, this daring and surprising documentary series produced by Secuoya Studios sheds light on a dangerous and growing phenomenon that goes beyond the digital and has serious consequences in terms of health and the real lives of thousands of people.

“PornoXplotation is a brave and necessary series that everyone should watch because of the importance of the issue it puts on the table. Pornography has never been as accessible as it is today, when anyone with a mobile phone is carrying a cinema in their pocket, and, whether we like it or not, it is conditioning the sexual education of our young people. We can only hope that the stories told by our protagonists, which are 100% true, serve to raise awareness”, notes Eduardo Escorial, head of Unscripted content at Secuoya Studios.

The figures of the world’s pornographic industry are difficult to estimate, but it is calculated that it moves around 100 billion euros, an amount that could be larger still thanks to the enormous surge in internet consumption. What is clear is that the faces of this industry are not the ones reaping the benefits, but rather it is the porn entrepreneurs who are getting rich at the cost of deceit and extortion and companies that sell data to third parties.

As reflected in the documentary series, it is particularly alarming to note the age at which teenagers have access to pornography. According to different studies, the first contact with this online porn content happens at the age of 12 and three out of every four minors have consumed it at some stage, with a much higher percentage for boys (87%) than for girls (38%). More and more voices are raising the alarm regarding the relation between this level of consumption and the worrying increase in sexual crimes perpetrated by minors.

This brave and unflinching documentary from the studio’s Unscripted team (‘Voices of a City’, ‘The Four Seasons’, ‘Race In’, ’13 days’, ‘JK5022) also offers something distinctive in the genre on a visual and narrative level: narraturgia. Actresses Clara Chaín and Laura Rozalén are the faces and voices of those who cannot tell their stories for fear this may endanger their lives. This theatrical portrayal of the story breaks the fourth wall to capture the viewer’s attention, combining dramatic and narrative genres to provide testimony to the drama of sexually exploited women. ‘PornoXplotation’ also incorporates animation to illustrate the more distressing scenes, a figurative process undertaken by Mallorcan artist Diego Ingold. 

‘PornoXplotation’ is based on the book launched by the multifaceted filmmaker, writer and police inspector Pablo J. Conellie (Alrevés Editorial), and makes use of his extensive experience to denounce human trafficking and exploitation. This documentary, like the original book, is based on the brave testimonies of people whose lives have been devastated by a murky business, which on many occasions operates outside of the law.