Germany 2022, 52/74 min, HDA Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Production
by Joscha Bongard
Verified Couple
Jamie and Nico aka 'Youngcouple9598' made a fortune as a wholesome Verified Couple on porn websites. Now they live their dream under palm trees at the tax haven state Cyprus. But how does it look off the stage?Joscha Bongard’s documentary starts off as a sex-positive portrait and turns into a multilayered exploration of love, shame, influence and success.
Andreea and Nico are a couple and have been shooting porn together since 2018. When we first meet them, they are 22 and 25 years old. In Cyprus, they open the doors to their rented villa, which offers a dreary backdrop. The two present themselves as successful businesspeople and future self-made millionaires who landed in the porn business with a simple Google search. During their porn shootings, Nico always takes care of the technic aspects and direction, and Andreea then takes care of the video editing.
The lucrative business demands personal sacrifices, especially from Andreea, for example in the form of terminated friendships and the long distance to her family. Porn is still socially stigmatized. Nico, is much more confident in his role as a pornstar and seems to be living his big dream.
Despite all the couple’s romance, the sex turns out to be dry work. Andreea and Nico finally reveal the key to their success: their morning routine of "self-affirmation" - a method for psychological optimization and more positive orientation of one's own thoughts. The further the observation progresses, the clearer it becomes that toxic forces are also at work. Their own truths and constant affirmations of their love still seem to outweigh any doubts.
Munich DokFest, One World Prague, Millenium, German Documentary Award (nom.)