“A Sex-Positive Letter to Young People” | Gregg Araki, I Want Your Sex
When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.
Starring Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde (who also opens this year’s festival in person as the director and star of The Invite), director Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex screens Saturday, May 2, at 9:45 p.m., at the Music Box Theatre, with a brief introduction by Ramona Slick (Rated Q, Chicago), as part of the Chicago Critics Film Festival.
Ahead of Tuesday’s screening, Araki graciously took the time to answer this year’s CCFF filmmaker questionnaire. Below, his individual responses which–it should be noted–were submitted in all caps. Make of that what you will.
How did you first become interested in filmmaking? What was your path toward directing your first film?
I went to traditional film school (UCSB and USC) for undergrad and grad, where I studied the classics and all the master auteurs, so cinema was pretty much deep in my veins from the start.
What inspired you to make the film you're bringing to the festival?
One of the inspirations for I Want Your Sex was an article I read that’s actually mentioned in the movie about how Gen Z isn’t having sex anymore! As someone whose identity and creative career was very much shaped by sex and sexuality, it was kind of mind-boggling to me that young people aren’t engaging with each other irl. So I kind of think of the film as a sex-positive love letter to young people, encouraging them to dive in and fully experience all the highs and lows of the best years of their lives while they still can.
Tell us about a film that you consider a guiding influence (whether it has informed your overarching vision as a filmmaker, directly informed the title you're bringing to the festival, or both).
I was very into those early Almodóvar movies, like Law of Desire and Matador, and I can definitely see traces of that influence in I Want Your Sex — particularly in its stylized aesthetic and kind of demented film noir elements.
Tell us about a location that's held significance to the film you're bringing to the festival: a setting where filming took place, a geographic area that provided a source of inspiration, or another type of space that comes to mind for you in thinking about the film. What made this place so special?
I’ve made all my movies in Los Angeles — it’s my home and inspiration with all its surreal glory and colorful insanity. It’s like living inside a dream — or a crazy cartoon — which is a big part of all my films.
The theatrical experience brings us together to celebrate artistic experience and expand our horizons as human beings. Tell us about a memorable theatrical experience from your life.
We had the best screening at Sundance I’ve ever experienced when we premiered I Want Your Sex there in January (and I’ve had 11 movies in the festival lol!). It was such a special night, the cast was all there, it was the historic last Sundance in Park City, the audience was amazing — it was such a special night. It felt like the spirit of Robert Redford was smiling down on us, and I’ll never forget it.
