Young French aren’t interested in sex – Emmanuelle director

Audrey Diwan says young people in her country are rejecting intimacy in favor of emotional detachment

French filmmaker Audrey Diwan, whose latest film ‘Emmanuelle’ is an English-language remake of the notorious 1970s soft-porn classic, has raised eyebrows with her comments about shifting attitudes towards sex among younger generations in France.

In an interview with Izvestia ahead of the film’s release in Russia on Thursday, Diwan expressed concern over what she perceives as a growing disinterest in intimacy among young people in her home country.

“Young people refuse sex. There is a revolution in our civilization: people no longer want to touch each other,” Diwan said, adding that this cultural shift presents a challenge to how relationships are experienced today.

She continued, “Why do we sometimes lose the ability to receive pleasure? Why are we tormented by the thought that there is no more pleasure, although there should be?” Diwan explained that ‘Emmanuelle’ is not just a provocative film about sexuality, but an exploration of the deeper origins of desire and the difficulty of experiencing it in modern life.

While Diwan acknowledged that the original ‘Emmanuelle’, known for its eroticism, set high expectations for her remake, she emphasized that her film differs by focusing on the emotional and psychological aspects of human intimacy.

Diwan, who won the Golden Lion at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival for her drama ‘Happening’, is known for her thoughtful approach to complex themes. 

Her comments about young people’s disengagement in favor of a more emotionally detached existence challenge long-standing stereotypes about the French being especially liberated when it comes to sexuality.

The release of ‘Emmanuelle’ has already sparked some controversy, although reviews have been mixed.